Inevitable
by lynco9228
Summary: This story is all about filling in all the Charliza moments from the show, starting with S1, E5 (Girl Code). My imagining of Charles and Liza's POV's, and how our favorite couple got to be where they are.
1. Chapter 1

"I need you to be on your game today, Liza. And then raise your game several levels to my game. Do you think you can do that?" Liza stood in Diana's office, watching her demanding boss apply a second coat of lipstick in the reflection of the glass window behind her.

"Uh…" She trailed off; not entirely sure what Diana was getting at.

"Just try to keep up. Charles has scheduled a meeting, and I've heard it is about repackaging. And do you know who is in charge of repackaging?"

"Us?"

"Me. And perhaps, if the client is big enough, Charles too. We may even have to work some late nights."

Liza didn't miss the look on her boss's face. It was as clear as day that she had a crush on Charles. Liza hadn't officially met him yet but had caught a glimpse of him last week leaving a meeting. He had apparently been working from home for a few weeks, only coming into the office when his physical presence was absolutely necessary. And he did have quite the physical presence. He had to be over 6 feet tall, and he had been wearing a gorgeous navy-blue suit. Liza had thought he looked like he had fallen straight out of a GQ magazine.

"Do you like him, Diana?"

Diana gave her a pointed look. "He is a married man, Liza. But an attractive straight man in a publishing house is rare. It's like finding Louboutin's at a yard sale. Plus," she added, in a conspiratorial whisper, "I heard a rumor his marriage is on the rocks. So, we are going into that conference room for that meeting. I need you to take detailed notes. I plan on being distracted." Diana got up and stalked out the room, tottering on her too tall heels. Liza rolled her eyes and straightened her top before following her boss out of the room, notebook in hand.

Charles sat in his office, gathering the last of the materials for his morning meeting. After being out of the office for the last month he was trying to get back into the routine of being in the office for at least part of the day, every day. He didn't like being away from his company, but after his wife had gone on vacation and decided to not return home, his girls had needed him. He was confused and heartbroken and angry, but Nicole and Bianca had been in worse shape once they realized that Mommy wasn't coming home.

He was, for the first time in his working career, suddenly self-conscious of the clear glass walls around him. He felt like everyone in the office was whispering about him, about his failed marriage. He had seen the way some of his employees looked at him. His head of marketing, Diana Trout, was probably the worst offender. Diana was brilliant, and he counted her as a friend, but she had no qualms about letting him know that she was interested. And she couldn't be further from his type. Not like he knew what his type was anymore. He'd been married for the past 12 years and had dated Pauline since he was in his mid-20s.

He caught sight of Diana headed into the conference room, a tall brunette following behind her. He assumed that she was Diana's new assistant. He hadn't been introduced to her yet but had seen her last week as he had walked into a meeting with accounting. She'd been sitting at her desk, eating lunch, her nose in a book, completely absorbed in whatever she was reading. He'd excused himself from the meeting at one point to use the restroom and had walked by her empty desk. A beaten-up copy of Look Homeward, Angel, lay on the corner. It was one of his favorites. Gathering up his papers, he headed into the conference room.

Liza tapped her foot anxiously as she waited for the elevator to open onto the Empirical floor, shifting the box of food from one arm to another. Diana was having a working lunch with Charles and had directed her to fetch lunch. The elevator finally opened, and she just about ran towards Diana's office, trying to catch her breath before she entered her office. Charles sat on the couch, Diana in a chair angled towards him. She tried to quietly unload the food as the two executives continued on with their conversation.

"Have you read Achebe?" Liza watched Diana as Charles asked the question. Empirical had recently acquired the rights to repackage the trilogy, which Liza happened to love. She could see however, that Diana was less than familiar with the famous works.

"Oh, I'm sure I have."

"Yeah, Things Fall Apart is one of my favorite books. I actually think it's required reading now, in high school."

"It is." The words were out of Liza's mouth before she could stop and saw Diana glare at her out of corner of her eye. Apparently, assistants were to be seen and not heard. Charles looked up at her and smiled. God, his eyes were so blue! She smiled back at him.

"Oh, have you read Achebe?" Charles stopped absentmindedly flipping through the pages of notes on his lap and looked up at Diana's assistant. Her name was Lisa or Laura or Liza, or something along those lines. She was even prettier close up, with warm brown eyes and shiny chestnut hair.

"Yeah," she said, a little breathless. "I read the entire trilogy. I couldn't put it down."

"Yes, the trilogy is groundbreaking." Diana interjected, a thoroughly annoyed tone to her voice.

"Oh, so you have read Achebe?" Charles asked her, even though he could tell that she clearly hadn't. Her new assistant seemed to be more well read than his head of marketing. He decided to test her. "So, what's your favorite?"

He leaned back, watching her. "Of the trilogy?" She asked, pausing and flashing her eyes at Liza. "Oh, um, probably the second book."

Liza stepped back and caught Diana's eye. "No Longer at Ease." She finished the sentence for Diana.

"Then put the box down."

Liza grimaced, trying to convey a message to Diana. "Is a great title for the second book, don't you think?" She asked Diana. "Adichie's Americanah comes close to capturing that experience, but nothing measures up to Achebe." She directed the last sentence to Charles, trying to impress her boss's boss. Diana rolled her eyes and stabbed her lunch with a fork. Charles leaned back, letting out a breath as he looked up at the girl in front of him. "You're very well read. I'm impressed." He couldn't help but smile at her, especially when she smiled back at him, her eyes bright."

"You know what I'm not impressed with. The state of this cod. It's freezing." She slammed the lid shut on her food and spitting her fish into a napkin. Charles jaw set as he watched her hand the dirty napkin to Liza, demanding she take it away. That was no way to treat someone, even an assistant. He felt a flash of annoyance surge through his body as Liza dropped her head and scurried out of the office. "Thank you." He called out to her retreating form. Her very tall form, he couldn't help but notice.

Liza sat back down at her desk after disposing of the ill-fated fish and tried to focus on the screen in front of her. She was distracted, though, and her eyes kept flickering to Charles, who was still sitting and talking to Diana. He really was incredibly tall and incredibly handsome, even more so up close. Don't start developing a crush on your boss's boss, Liza, she told herself, but she couldn't help but smile brightly at him as he exited Diana's office, flashing her a small smile and a nod as he strode past her desk. Of course, the smile was wiped off her face as Diana strode out of her office, an angry expression on her face.

Charles watched the interaction from his office window. Diana was clearly chastising her new assistant. Liza, he repeated her name in his head as he watched her take Diana's wrath. A pretty name to match the pretty face. He had a feeling that she would give Diana a run for her money. And hopefully she would last more than a week, he admitted to himself as he sat down at his desk, because he thought he could get used to having her around the office. There was something special about Liza.


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Liza muttered to herself, staring back at her reflection in the bathroom of the club. But she was desperate for cash, and Lauren had hooked her up with this gig. She couldn't afford to bail. Literally. She tugged at the, well, she could only describe it as sequined lingerie, trying to pull it up to cover her cleavage a little bit more. It was the most revealing thing she had worn in public in over a decade. The high cut on the legs left little to the imagination and the stiletto heels were taking some getting used to. "You're doing this for Caitlin." She repeated the mantra in her head as she tied the matching choker around her neck and exited the bathroom to the waiting Rakeem.

Charles stood along the side wall of the club, squinting out at the crowd. It was his first night out in months, and he had no idea what he was doing. A friend of his was an investor in this new app, and had invited him to the launch party. He didn't really understand the concept of using points, whatever those were, to buy drinks, but an invite was an invite. He swallowed the last of his drink and sat the glass on the bar and decided to try to track down his friend. He could say hello and make a quick exit. He wandered through the crowd of twenty somethings, and could already feel a headache starting to form. The loud music and the pulsing lights were just more than he could handle.

He pushed pass a couple of people, but his path was blocked by a waitress carrying an enormous try of colored drinks. Her head was down, but the hair and the legs, holy cow, those legs, were familiar. As she stood up and flipped her hair over her shoulder, he stepped forward.

"I know you. You work for Diana Trout."

Liza looked up as she heard the familiar voice of Charles Brooks. She had only heard him speak a few times, but his deep baritone voice had imprinted in her memory. She really didn't need the CEO of the company that she worked for walking around looking like this. But he had seen her, there was no getting out of this. Swallowing hard, she straightened, hands holding tight to the tray of drinks in front of her.

"Well, obviously, I work in publishing for love, not money. Buzzy navel?" She offered a drink to him while simultaneously panicking about what she had just said. Would he be insulted that she insinuated she wasn't paid very well?

"Oh." He smiled at examined the tray of drinks, picking up a glass. "Glad to meet a girl who's not living off her trust fund." He didn't know why he said it, but a vision of Pauline flashed through his mind. He had loved his wife, but she hadn't had to work a day in her life, if she didn't want to. Her parents, and then he, had made sure of that.

Liza laughed. "Trust fund? My father's a high school gym teacher in Maplewood, New Jersey." She smiled back at him, relieved to see he wasn't insulted by what she had said.

"And is marketing your passion?"

"Well, my heart is in editorial, but yeah, it's uh, very valuable learning from Diana."

He nodded conspiratorially. He knew Diana couldn't be an easy person to work for. "You're quite the politician." His mind flashed back to the napkin at the lunch meeting the week prior, which still irked him. He had considered saying something to Diana, but knew that she would just take it out on Liza, and he didn't want that. Besides, he had a feeling that Liza could hold her own with Diana Trout.

"So," she said, clearing her throat, "What brings you to this fabulous bash?"

He smiled at her slightly sarcastic question. He was glad to know that he wasn't the only one who thought this whole thing was a little silly. "Oh, a friend of mine is an investor. He invited me. Also, I'm just trying to get out there more, expand my comfort zone since the divorce." He paused, not entirely sure why he had let that slip. He wasn't in the habit of talking to anyone about his separation, spare a few close friends and family. This girl was practically a stranger to him, but he couldn't help but feel like opening up to her. It was unnerving.

She nodded sympathetically. "I totally understand. Those first few months are tough." Shit, she thought, as his brow furrowed. Think, Liza, think! "I mean, not understand, like personally. I've just read a lot of books with divorced characters." Just stop talking, Liza, she told herself. Don't make a fool of yourself.

Charles saw a flash of something cross her face. He wasn't sure if it was panic or nerves or what, but it was gone in an instant. Reaching out, he grabbed a second drink and held it out to her. Well, here's to a bright future and fewer parties like this one. For both of us."

She smiled politely. "Sorry, I can't drink on the job."

Ahh, of course not, he thought. He wasn't sure how she managed to stay professional while wearing next to nothing, but she pulled it off. "Uh, unless you work in editorial." He swallowed the last of the drink and nodded at her before disappearing into the crowd. He needed to let her get back to work, he'd hijacked enough of her time.

Liza turned, crashing directly into Rakeem and spilling her entire tray of drinks. When she turned back towards the crowd, Charles had disappeared.

Charles watched Liza from across the room the next morning, as she stood talking to Kelsey. He had seen her spill the night before, and had been tempted to rush over and help her. He was sure that the angry man in the silver suit had not made her night any easier. By the time he had made his way back through the crowd, she had disappeared. Part of him had been tempted to track her down, or wait outside for her to leave, and to offer to walk her home, or drive her home. Anything to spend a few extra moments with her. He liked talking to her. There was something about her that made him feel at ease, made him feel comfortable. Then there was the fact that he couldn't deny; that he was attracted to her. She was beautiful. He wanted to reach out and run his fingers through her hair, wanted to stare at those long gorgeous legs all day long. Her outfit last night hadn't help him quash that particular desire – it had only made it worse. She's 26, Charles, he reminded himself, and she's an employee. Just forget it. He watched as she stepped away from Kelsey, and couldn't help but stride over to her.

"I saw your spill last night. I think you better stick to publishing. Just saying." He grinned a little bit when she smiled back at him.

"Well, as long as I still get to wear hot pants in the office." Stop flirting with him, she told herself. He's your boss. And you have Josh. And both of them think you're 26.

"Only on casual Fridays." The both laughed, pausing to smile at each other for a moment longer before turning and walking in the opposite directions. Charles flashed a smile at Diana as he passed, thinking at the same time that he would happily go to a hundred more parties like that if it meant he got to spend more time with Liza.


	3. Chapter 3

Liza stood outside the doorway to Charles's brownstone, popping a second mint into her mouth in an attempt to cover up the smell of the wine she had downed before leaving Maggie's apartment. She had wanted nothing more than to go home and veg out with Maggie for the evening, drinking wine and catching up with her best friend. But she had been summoned by Diana to the Upper West Side to babysit Charles's kids so that he could attend the PEN awards. She didn't even know how old the kids were, or if they were boys or girls. Sighing, she rang the doorbell.

The door swung open almost immediately, and she was greeted by Charles, donned in a tuxedo. He looked like he was ready to step onto the red carpet, and Liza suddenly felt very self conscious of her thrift store hipster clothes.

"Liza, hi. Thanks for coming." He stepped aside to let her in, leading her to a set of stairs to the second floor. He noticed that she was still in the clothes she wore to work, and felt a pang of guilt. She probably hadn't even had a chance to go home. "Thanks for doing this. You are really saving the day."

"Oh, well, it's no problem." She said distractedly, taking in her surroundings. It was a beautiful home, with glistening hard wood floors and beautiful furnishings. A second flight of curved stairs were built into the wall in front of her, and two young girls sat in their pajamas, looking sullen. Clearly, they didn't want their Dad to leave them.

"Hi, I'm Liza." She bent down so that she was eye level with them and smiled at them.

Charles gestured to the younger girl "That's Bianca, and this is Nicole." He said, smiling down at his two daughters. "Say hi, girls, don't be shy." He felt guilty about leaving them, but his presence really was required at these awards. He'd also struck out on every babysitter that he had hired so far. The girls hadn't warmed up to any of them. They were proving to be as difficult to please as Diana.

"I used to babysit a girl who was very shy." Liza leaned towards the girls, smiling brightly back at them.

"What was her name?"

"Caitlin. And you know what Caitlin loved?"

"What?"

"Polly pockets."

"So do I" Bianca instantly perked up, and Charles couldn't help but grin.

Liza turned back to smile at him before returning her attention to the girls. "It's too bad we don't have any here to play with!" She put on a dramatic sad face, and Bianca giggled.

"We do! I have Polly, Lea, Chrissy, Lila and Shani." Both girls stood, smiling, and reached out their hands to Liza, who didn't hesitate in taking them.

"Come to my playroom!" "No, come to my playroom." They tugged at her arms, all traces of sadness gone from their faces.

Liza arched her eyebrows dramatically. "You have two playrooms?!"

"And a media room and a library. Come on!" Nicole tugged at her arm, pulling her up the stairs." Liza turned to smile reassuringly at Charles. "Have fun." She called, as she was pulled up the stairs.

"You too. Be good." Charles marveled at her ability to engage his kids as he watched the trio ascend the stairs. He had been excited to go to the award ceremony, but there was a part of him that wanted to take the stairs three at a time and spend the entire evening with Liza and his girls.

It was well past midnight when Charles climbed the steps to him home, quietly letting himself in and slipping off his tuxedo jacket. His bowtie had come off as soon as he as he had gotten into the car to come home. He had replayed the short video Liza had sent him a few hours ago on the way home, and had smiled down at the screen as he watched Liza play with the girls. She would have been a great teacher if she hadn't gone into publishing, and he imagined she would be a wonderful mother someday. He had silently wondered if she had a boyfriend, but had pushed the thought far from his mind as he remembered she was 26, his brain screaming at him to not cross that line.

He paused at the top of the steps, looking around for her before finally spotting her curled up on the couch near the front of the house. She had a book in her hands, and was once again totally absorbed in the words.

"Hey," he said quietly, laying his jacket over the back of a chair. "Are they asleep?"

Liza looked up quickly, closing her book and setting it on the coffee table. She hadn't even heard him come in. "Oh, yeah. Hours ago. How was the awards ceremony?

"Everything was great. Except Kelsey Peters left rather abruptly." He paused, waiting to see if Liza would provide any insight. He could see that she and Kelsey were becoming close friends.

"Yeah, she texted me. She was sick." Kelsey had in fact called her about an hour ago after ducking out of the ceremony early. She had ended things with Anton, and was upset. But she wasn't about to tell that to their boss.

Charles sensed he wasn't going to get anything else out of her and decided to move on. "How did everything go here. You didn't do the windows, did you?" He nodded towards the spray bottle of Windex sitting on the table.

"Oh, it went great. And that's monster go away spray." She replied, smiling back at him as he turned to pour himself a glass of scotch from a tray sitting on a nearby table.

"Can I offer you a drink?" He asked, turning towards her, before realizing that all he had out was scotch. He didn't know any 20 something girls that drank scotch.

"Oh, uh, I'll have what you're having."

Charles was momentarily taken aback, but cleared his throat and handed her his glass while pouring himself another.

"The girls, they were just angels tonight." She smiled kindly at him as they sat down. She meant every word. They had played and danced and watched movies, and both girls had curled up next to Liza on Nicole's bed as she read them a good night story.

"I am glad to hear that. This divorce has been rough on them, and they can act out." He sat down in the chair as Liza returned to the couch.

"Yeah, Nicole told me. It's rough."

There was a knowing tone to her voice that made Charles think that she may have some experience with broken families. She seemed to know how both he and the girls were feeling. "You must be doing something right." She added, softly, as she sipped her drink.

"I don't know." He sighed. "Their mother's in California, and the girls haven't seen or spoken to her in months. It's a mess."

"It's okay. Messes make people interesting."

"They do?" He raised his eyebrows at her, amused.

"Yes!" She straightened her back and took another sip of her drink. "The messier the better. Name any great artist."

"Uhh, Beethoven."

"Alcoholic father." She fired back, smiling.

"Kurt Vonnegut." He smirked as she drew a blank and pulled out her phone. "Searching. Keep going."

"Jonathan Franzen." He was determined to stump her.

"Oh, messy divorce."

"Woody Allen." He laughed as she rolled her eyes. "Please." She smacked her finger on her phone. "Vonnegut. Mom committed suicide. Boom."

Charles chuckled at the triumphant look on her face. He couldn't remember the last time he had talked to someone like this, especially a woman. He was feeling something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Something that made him feel warm and comfortable.

"So now we're taking pleasure in other people's misery?"

"No. We're taking solace in other peoples' misery, and we should do it frequently in order to maintain our sanity."

Charles was once again surprised by the wisdom of the words coming out of her mouth. She seemed more mature, more poised, more eloquent than any other 26 year old he had ever met. "You sure you're 26?" He asked, jokingly. He thought he saw a flash of panic cross her face, but they were both distracted by her phone buzzing with an incoming text.

"A friend is walking me home." Josh had just texted her that he was waiting outside. She hadn't thought of him in hours, which was a first. She was enjoying this banter with Charles, and was hesitant to leave.

"Oh," he said, looking a little dejected. "I was going to call you a car, but that's good."

They both stood, and Liza bent down to grab her purse. "So, I'll see you at the office?"

"Yeah. Maybe you can babysit again." They walked slowly across the room.

"Yeah, just let me know." Liza rocked back and forth on her heels, willing herself to climb down the stairs. Charles stood just a couple feet from her, and was smiling down at her. God, she thought, those eyes! She thought she could swim in them.

"Yeah, you don't want to keep your young man waiting." It was just a guess, but he needed to know if there was someone in her life.

She smiled back up at him and took a small step forward. "Well, how do you know it's a young man?"

"Isn't it?" He blew out a breath.

Liza looked down at her feet for a moment, breaking their little staring contest. "Well, uh, yeah, it is. Okay, sorry, good night."

"Good night." He turned to watch her walk back towards the stairs. "Wait." He called, pulling his money clip out of his wallet and pulling out a few bills. "I forgot to pay you."

Liza crossed back to him, taking the folded bills from him. Their fingers grazed each other as he passed her the money, and she felt a jolt of electric surge through her.

"Thanks. I'll see you at work. Good night." They stood staring at each other for a moment longer. Charles felt the overwhelming urge to ask her to stay for another drink, his desire to be in her presence overwhelming. He wanted to talk to her, know everything about her. And oh, how he wanted to kiss her."

Liza pulled her gaze away from him as she saw his eyes flicker every so briefly to her lips. She knew if he asked her to say, that she would say yes, and that couldn't happen. So she smiled at him one last time and turned to leave.

Charles watched from the window above as she exited the house and walked into the arms of a young brown haired man standing outside. Watches as she leaned into him and kissed him without hesitation, as she laughed when he pulled out a skateboard and handed it to her. He shook his head, trying to clear her from his mind. If he wasn't careful, this was going to get messy.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm going to start combining multiple episodes into single chapters to make them a little longer, and adding in some extra scenes that I would have loved to see in the show, but keeping true to the storyline.

Over the course of the next few weeks Charles tried to keep his distance from Liza. Emphasis on tried. At the office she was everywhere. She seemed to flit around like a butterfly, always on the move. And with the exception of Diana, she seemed to improve the mood of anyone she spent time with – like she left a trail of happiness wherever she went. She was always running out to fetch coffee for Diana, and had made a point of stopping in his office every time to see if he wanted anything. He found it hard to focus on his work when he saw her constantly moving around out of the corner of his eye. As much as he fought it, he was drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. It was almost as if he had a radar for her – his eyes were immediately drawn to her anytime they were in the same room, if only for a second.

So it didn't come as much of a surprise to him to see her when he entered his favorite diner before work after dropping the girls off at school. It was a junky, hole in the wall kind of place, but they had the best French toast he had ever tasted. It was his little secret spot, where, when he had the time, he loved to come and hole up in a booth and read and eat.

He paused as the door closed behind him and he saw her sitting at the bar top. She looked gorgeous, a navy blue beanie perched on top of that pretty hair, wearing a sexy leather jacket. She had a forkful of French toast in one hand, a book in the other. As he stepped down into the diner, he saw that she was engrossed in Anna Karenina.

"Looks like my secret breakfast spot isn't so secret anymore."

"Oh my god, hi!" Liza's concentration was broken as she heard the deep baritone voice of Charles Brooks. She had taken to stopping for breakfast at this tiny little diner a few times a week, taking a few minutes of her morning to devour their delicious French toast and read a few pages of a book. Today, it was Anna Karenina. This was the last place she ever imagined running into Charles, but she was starting to discover that there was lot more to him than appeared.

She had felt something between them the night that she had babysat the girls for him. When he had called out to her as she was leaving, she thought he might kiss her. But the moment had vanished before she could think any more of it. She found herself continuously reminding herself to focus on work. And she had Josh to consider, as well. Whatever was going on between them was becoming more than just a casual hookup. She didn't need to mess up her life by getting involved with someone from work. It wouldn't end well, for anyone.

Charles leaned up against the counter and bantered with Liza for a moment as he waited for his to-go order. He marveled at how talking to her came so easy. No wonder she was doing well at work – if she was half as cheerful and down to earth with others as she was with him, she was bound to do well.

"You know, you should take a crack at the slush pile sometime." He remembered their conversation about how she wanted to get into the editorial side of publishing, and thought it wouldn't hurt to give her a little nudge. It was a rare occasion that a winning book was found in the slush pile, but he thought she might have a nose for digging deep enough to find a needle in the literary haystack. "It's not Tolstoy, but you never know." He took his bag of food from the waiter, sliding him a few bills before turning back to Liza. "And if you tell anyone about the French toast here, I'm going to have to kill you."

"Don't worry." Liza grinned back at him. "I'm really good at keeping secrets."

Liza stood in the bathroom at Empirical, splashing water on her face. It had been a disaster of a day, starting with that awful, humiliating meeting with Meredith Montgomery.

She had thought she had found Empirical's next bestseller, had found her stepping stone towards a successful career as an editor. But it had all come crashing down in a matter of moments. She had thought her head was going to explode when Diana exposed Meredith as a fraud. She kept replaying those moments in her head. The disappointed look on Charles's face, the angry but triumphant look on Diana's. It was like she had taken one step forward only to be knocked a dozen steps back.

For the rest of the day Diana had assigned her only the most menial of tasks. It felt like she was trying to remind Liza that she was only capable of fetching coffee and answering the phone. And maybe that's all I'm good for, Liza kept thinking. Maybe I can't get back in the game after sitting out for so long. Maybe I'm the fraud.

She hadn't that she had disappointed Charles. He had been the one to pint her towards the slush pile in the first place. He had thrown her a bone, and she had ruined the opportunity. She had avoided his gaze all day to, scared to look into his face and see how she had let him down, let his company down.

On top of all the work drama, she was overtired, having slept poorly at Lauren's house, wary of her creepy dad. She wasn't sure where she and Josh stood now, and was starting to rethink just about every decision she had made in the last month.

She dabbed her face with a paper towel and decided to call it a day. It was past 6:00, and most of the staff had been clearing out when she had retreated into the bathroom fifteen minutes ago. She was going to grab her purse and jacket and text Maggie to have a glass of wine ready. She needed a 40 year old timeout tonight. She walked out of the bathroom, letting the door slam shut behind her and turned the corner to the bullpen, only to run into something solid.

"Eyes on the road." A pair of strong hands gripped her upper arms as she stumbled backwards and looked up to see Charles looking down at her.

He could see the anxiety on her face, as clear as if it were written on her forehead in permanent marker. It had been a bad day for her. He was grateful that they had found out about the plagiarized novel before it had gone any farther, but he felt awful for Liza. He had gotten a thrill out of seeing her so excited about a book that she had discovered, and had gotten even more excited after reading what he thought was going to be a hit for his company. A hit that they needed. Finances were okay, but he was going to have to start looking for an investor soon if they didn't rake in some serious cash.

He had watched all day as Diana had ordered Liza around. Clearly his marketing director disapproved of Liza's brief dabble in editorial. He knew it was because she was scared that she was going to lose the best assistant she had employed in years, but he didn't dare call her out on it. He couldn't afford to insult Diana and risk losing her. She might be a bear to deal with, but he relied on her expertise and shrewd business insight. So he had watched all day as Diana had taken her anger out on Liza, bossing her around like a servant.

"I'm sorry. Wasn't watching where I was going." Her eyes flickered up to his before looking down at the floor, at anywhere besides him. Her eyes, normally bright, looked sad, and he saw that they were red. He hated the thought that she may have shed tears over this incident.

"It's quite alright, Liza." His hands remained on her arms as he glanced around at the almost empty office. He saw that Diana's office light was off, she was thankfully gone for the evening. "Come with me." He let go of her and gestured for her to follow him back to his office. He held the door open for her and nodded towards the couch. He pulled a bottle of scotch from his bottom desk drawer, along with two glasses.

"I think this is called for, after the day you had."

Liza looked at him as he leaned over, a glass of scotch in his outstretched hand. She took it, not saying anything for a moment. She didn't know what to say – she felt humiliated and had a feeling that Charles was taking pity on her.

"I'm sorry, Charles. I'm so sorry."

Charles sighed, shrugging off his suit jacket and loosening his tie as he sat down in the chair closest to Liza's spot on the couch.

"Don't apologize, Liza. It happens. Not often, but it does."

"I should have done a better job vetting her. I jumped the gun, I wanted to prove myself."

"When someone sends us a book, it's natural for us to assume it's an original work. But on occasion, someone decides to use someone else's work and call it their own. You're not the first person to get caught in the crosshairs. You're not even the first person in this room to have done so."

Liza raised her eyebrows at him, surprised at his omission. "I can't believe that you would have gotten sucked into something like this."

He nodded, chuckling to himself. "I was mortified, just like you are. I was 25, it was my second year here. I thought I had discovered this amazing new author. He brought me a manuscript for this amazing war story, this incredible historical fiction novel. Turns out it was a total fabrication. He ripped it off of this obsolete novel he had found in some tiny little bookshop in Europe. We were almost ready to release it when my father discovered the fraud. I couldn't believe that someone would do something like that. But it happens."

"I feel like I disappointed everyone. Kelsey, Diana. You." She looked up at him woefully.

"No. Listen, you're not going to hit every one out of the park. But you can't let the fear of striking out from playing the game. Sorry for all the cheesy baseball metaphors."

They both laughed, the mood lightening significantly. Liza drained her drink. "Thanks for the words of encouragement. But I think I'll be sticking to marketing for the time being. Diana made it pretty clear that that's where I belong." She stood, setting the empty glass on the coffee table.

"For now." Charles stood, walking her to the door. "You were right. Your heart is in editorial. I can see it. It's only a matter of time, Liza. And," He paused, reaching out to grasp her shoulder lightly. "I'll do whatever I can to help you get there. I promise."

Liza looked back at him, taken slightly aback at the way he was holding her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. She searched his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity staring back at her, and she knew he meant every word. She could feel that warmth in the pit of her stomach again, just like she had two weeks ago, standing with him in his house after sharing a drink. Reluctantly, she tore her eyes from his.

"Good night, Charles. And thank you."

"Good night, Liza. I'll see you tomorrow." He watched as she retreated to her desk, grabbing her things and heading towards the elevator, but not before turning and waving to him, flashing him one of her million dollar smiles. He found himself living for those smiles, and the moments that they shared, just the two of them.


	5. Chapter 5

Charles leaned back in his chair as he finished reading the last page of the Megan Vernoff rewrite that Kelsey had emailed to him early this morning. Megan's first draft was horrid, and they were in desperate need of a book doctor in order to make the book publishable. He had opened the email from Kelsey this morning, surprised to see that Liza had been the one to submit a rewrite. He had known she was interested in editorial, but not that she was a writer.

And boy, was her writing good. He had flown through the pages she submitted, laughing and smiling to himself at all the right parts. She wrote with wit and humor, making the main characters seem to come to life off the page. There was finesse to her writing that was lacking in many younger writers he had worked with. He remembered Diana telling him that she had gone to Dartmouth and had mentioned working on a novel during her interview with her. He wondered if he could persuade her to show it to him.

Standing up, he walked over to the doorway, scanning the bullpen for her. He quickly spotted her, standing by the coffee bar and conversing with Kelsey. He strode over to her as Kelsey departed, coming up to stand behind her. As she turned, he got a whiff of her perfume, and god, did she smell good.

"Liza."

"Oh, hi!" She turned to look up at him, smiling.

"I just read your chapter. It's good." A look of relief washed over her face. Clearly, she had been nervous that he wouldn't have cared for her writing. "You know, your HR file says you are 26, but you write like a 40-year-old. Is there something you want to tell me?" He said this jokingly, but he saw her stiffen. Clearly, she was edgy about something. "Come see me in my office." He gestured for her to accompany him and turned away, listening to her match his pace a few steps behind him.

Liza followed Charles down the hall, a sense of panic setting in. The way he had just looked at her had freaked her out. Like he could see right through her. Clearly, he knew she was lying about her age. She felt like she was walking to her execution. Like everyone was staring at her. She bit her lip as she sat down across from Charles.

"Liza, all this time I've thought you were just another struggling assistant. But all this time you've had a secret, haven't you? And now I think I know your secret." He paused, looking at her over his desk.

Shit, she thought, he knows. "Well, um…"

"You're a writer."

She hadn't expected to hear those words come out of his mouth. She was safe. "Yeah," she stuttered, "Yeah, I'm a writer. Just a writer. Guilty. Throw the book at me. Terrible pun. I apologize."

Charles couldn't help but laugh. She was adorable when she was nervous. He wanted to reach across the desk and take her hand in his to steady her, to calm her. Instead, he clenched his fist out of view. "Your sample chapter was so impressive. I mean it. Obviously, you're good enough to rewrite Megan Vernoff."

"Really? Oh, thank you."

"But book doctoring isn't really about writing. No, it's more about egos and that elusive think they call chemistry." His eyes lingered on hers for a moment. "Which I think you'll excel at."

"Oh?"

He continued to look her in the eyes, and Liza saw his face twitch as he smiled. "You're an easy person to meet, to work with, to…um, be with. At least I think so." He looked down at his desk a little shyly, and Liza felt that now familiar rush of something through her veins that she felt so often when she was with him.

"Thank you." She crossed her hands in her lap, looking down at her fingers as she felt her face flush.

"I'll set up a meeting for you to meet Megan. If the two of you click, the rewrite's yours." He stood and leaned over the desk, reaching his hand out to shake hers. She met his hand quickly with hers, sliding her small, cool palm into his larger, warm one. They fit perfectly, and Charles held on for a few seconds longer than normal. He let go reluctantly and watched her exit the room, his hand tingling where hers had touched his. As much as his mind was telling him that this was a bad idea, his body was telling him otherwise.

***Sorry for the short chapter! This one is the end of Season 1, and Charles is only in one or two scenes in the finale. I'll pick this story up soon, but I'm hoping to finish the next chapter of my other story before I start on Season 2!


	6. Chapter 6

Charles was finding it incredibly difficult to focus in today's morning meeting, mostly due to the presence of the leggy brunette squeezed in between he and Diana. He had purposely angled away from her, but he could sense her presence over his left shoulder, could still smell her perfume, or shampoo – whatever it was, it was light and enticing and made him want to move closer to her.

He tried to refocus his attentions on Kelsey and the book that she was pitching. The subject matter was also contributing to his lack of focus. A Tumblr listical about blowjobs. If his father were here, he would probably have a heart attack. But Kelsey was right – it was funny, it was light, and it would sell. A laughable coffee table book, but it seemed a little edgy for his usual tastes. Liza's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he almost choked on his coffee as he tuned into her words.

"It's like, uh, Goodnight Moon, for adults. With blowjobs." Everyone in the room chuckled, with the exception of Diana, who stiffened when she saw Charles glance back at Liza and join in on the laughter.

"I'd at least like to see some more positive thoughts."

Kelsey smirked, glancing down at her screen to hit a few buttons. "Number 69"

Charles chuckled again, leaning back in his chair so that Liza came into his peripheral view. He saw her glance at him and smile. "Well, that's a start." He stood, promising Kelsey he would think on it and dismissing the group. Following Liza out of the room, he couldn't help but glance at her retreating form. She was wearing a pair of form fitting jeans that were making it difficult for him to keep his eyes at eye level. God damn, he thought, she's got me all twisted up inside, and she doesn't even have a clue.

The devil sitting on his shoulder was screaming in one ear to go for it. You deserve it, man, just ask her out. She's been flirting with you too, Just do it. His conscious, on the other hand, was constantly reminding him that she was 26. Why would she even consider going out with him? And you're her boss, remember? Just forget about it. Which voice would win out, only time would tell.

Liza sighed as she leaned her head back against the seat of the taxi, the copy of the Hillenbrand book sitting in a sealed package on her lap. She loved her job, but she was weary of how often it pulled her away from her life after hours. Like tonight. She had been trying to talk to Josh outside of the Hector and Dorf party when Diana had summoned her. He had clearly been upset, and all she had wanted to do was to sit and talk to him. She knew he was having a hard time wrapping his head around her age. He said he had forgiven her, that he wanted to make it work, but his actions were saying otherwise. She had looked down at her phone for 5 seconds, and he had disappeared.

She paid the taxi driver and stepped out onto the street outside Charles's brownstone, opening up her umbrella. It was starting to rain heavily, and the street glistened with water. Reaching over, she rang the doorbell, tapping her feet anxiously. All she wanted to do was drop off the book and go find Josh.

The door opened and Charles peeked his head out. Liza was caught off guard by his casual appearance. She had only ever seen him in one of his tailed suits, or a tuxedo, but tonight he leaned against the doorway barefoot, in jeans and a shirt that was unbuttoned at the top, giving her a peek at his chest. She swallowed hard. He truly was one of the most handsome men she had ever met. Josh was just plain hot, but Charles exuded confidence and maturity and something else she couldn't put her finger on, but it made her feel all tingly when she was around him.

"Hi."

"Hi. I've got the Hillenbrand manuscript." She reached out to hand him the sealed envelope, shivering a little bit as his hand grazed hers. His eyes flickered up to hers, and she thought he might have felt the same jolt of electricity she had.

"Thank you so much for running it over so late. I hope I didn't ruin your night."

Liza smiled to herself. This little errand had, in fact, put quite the damper on her evening, but Charles sounded so sincere that she suddenly didn't mind having to run all over the city.

"Nah, I was just playing a little ping-pong."

Charles chuckled at her as she shifted on the sidewalk, his eyes drawn to her legs, again. He couldn't help himself, and she was always wearing these dresses that made her legs look like they were 10 miles long. It was definitely a distraction, but a welcome one.

"Is that right?" Once again, his conscious was reminding him that she was way too young for him.

"Yeah,, but you're so lucky. I'm such a Hillenbrand fan. Seabiscuit was my favorite." It was one of his favorite novels as well. He marveled at how their taste in literature was so in sync. She was the most well read Millennial that he had ever encountered.

"Well," he said, a little shyly, "I wish I could ask you to come in and read this with me, but that could get us both in trouble."

They both paused for a moment, Liza letting an "Oh" escape her lips. Did he really just say that? Charles realized how it sounded as well, and turned a little red before correcting himself. "No, no, I signed a confidentiality agreement. There are probably lawyers hiding in the bushes."

"Okay, right. Well, I should let you get to it." Liza turned to leave, but Charles called out to her again and she paused, turning on the spot.

"Wait, before you go…" He trailed off for a moment, locking eyes with her and making a snap decision. "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about. Will you come in for a minute? It's raining, and you're getting soaked."

Liza searched his eyes for moment before nodding and following him inside and upstairs to the lounge where they had sat and conversed the last time she was here. The house was quiet, and she assumed the girls were tucked into bed.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"Yes, that'd be nice."

He didn't ask her what she wanted, but poured her a few fingers of scotch and handing her the glass, joining her on the couch, a safe distance away from where she perched, swirling the amber liquid in her glass before taking a sip.

"So….." Liza looked at him, expectantly, and Charles suddenly remembered why he had invited her inside in the first place.

"Right! Umm, a friend of mine told me that Hachette is trying to poach Kelsey Peters. Have you heard anything about that?"

He could tell by the look on her face that she knew exactly what he was talking about. He also knew that he should feel guilty asking Liza about Kelsey, given their friendship, but he had a feeling that Liza would know exactly what to say.

She paused, taking a large sip of her drink. "Okay, I'll say this. Everyone wants to feel valuable at work, and I think that it would mean a lot to Kelsey if she knew just how much you valued her. That you won't always see her as an assistant whose been promoted."

He watched as she bit her lip nervously and swallowed the rest of her drink. "I don't see her like that. Kelsey is brilliant, and she's done great work."

"I know she has, but I also know how she feels. You're the one that gave her her big break, and she feels loyal to you, Charles. She doesn't want to leave, but she feels like everyone just sees her as this young girl who maybe got promoted earlier than she should have. She wants to be taken seriously in this business. We all do."

"Okay." He stood, taking her empty glass from her. As much as he would love for her to stay, he knew it was time for her to go. A few more drinks, a few more minutes of conversation, and he might make a decision he would regret later. Even though he was having visions of them curled up on this sofa, drinks in their hands, reading the manuscript that was laying on the table in front of him. Liza, snuggled into the crook of his arm, leaning close to read the words, him pulling her tight against his chest. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind.

"I appreciate that information, Liza, and your discretion." He walked her downstairs and to the doorway, leaning against the frame as she stepped out onto his front stoop.

"Of course. I guess I'll see you on Monday."

"Yeah, see you Monday. Enjoy the book."

"Enjoy your night." He watched her retreat down the steps, his eyes following her as she disappeared into the night, wishing that he had asked her to stay for just one more drink. 


	7. Chapter 7

Liza had just sat down at her desk, a fresh cup of coffee in hand, when she heard the familiar ping of a new email coming in. She had come into the office early, hoping to use work as a distraction from obsessing over Josh. After leaving Charles last night she had returned home, texting Josh a few times with no success. So she had gotten up early this morning and headed into work with the idea that she could maybe catch up on some of her work and just maybe impress Diana with her expediency.

She sat down in her chair, pulling her email up on her desktop, surprised to see that the email was from Charles. She turned her head to see him sitting at his desk through the glass window. She hadn't noticed him when she had come in 20 minutes earlier.

_Can you stop by my office before everyone else shows up? I have something I'd like to run past you. – Charles_

Her curiosity peeked, Liza stood and headed back towards his office door, which stood ajar, smoothing the front of her skirt as she made her way closer. What could he possibly want to talk to her about? Her mind kept flashing to last night, his hand skimming over hers as she had handed the book to him. Had he felt the same tingling sensation that she had? She didn't know what she would say if he made any sort of advance towards her. She knew she should shut this workplace flirtation down, but she couldn't deny that the thought of spending even part of her day with Charles made it 10x easier to come to work every day. She liked being around him. She liked him.

"You wanted to see me?"

Charles looked up from his computer as he head the gentle knock on his door. Liza leaned in, her brown hair slipping over her shoulder.

"Yeah." He stood, gesturing for her to sit in the chair across from him. "Please sit down."

"Is everything okay?" She frowned, suddenly nervous that she had done something wrong.

"Yeah, yeah. I just," he paused for a moment, leaning back in his chair. "I thought about what you said after you left last night. About Kelsey." He left out that he had thought about her a lot last night as well. It had been a mostly sleepless night and he could say, without hesitation, that most of his tossing and turning had been due to Liza consuming his thoughts. He had stayed up late reading through the manuscript she had delivered to him hours earlier, and when he finally fell asleep, he had dreamed of laying in bed with Liza, her curled up against his side as they read through those pages. The dream had quickly become a lot less literary, causing him to take an icy cold shower this morning.

"Oh?" She tilted her head at him, curious about what he wanted to say. He seemed distracted.

"I won't be able to match the offer that Hachette has given her, but I think I've come up with a way to convince her to stay. I know you two are close, and I wanted to bounce it off you before I talked to Kelsey. What do you think about giving Kelsey her own imprint? Geared towards 20 somethings. She can choose the projects, have editorial control, but it'll still be under the Empirical umbrella."

"Wow." Liza broke out into a smile, letting Charles know that he was on the right path. "I think that's amazing, Charles. I think Kelsey will love it."

"Do you think she's ready for the responsibility?"

"I think so. And it's not like you're throwing her out into the ocean without a lifejacket. You're still her boss, she still has to answer to you and make business decisions that will work for Empirical. But yes, I think she's ready. This is just amazing."

Charles smiled back, satisfied. "Well, good. I'm glad to hear you say that. Your opinion, Liza, it's come to matter quite a bit to me."

Liza looked down, shyly, not sure how to respond.

"Well, just act surprised when she tells you about it. I'm sure she'll want you to be a part of it."

Liza stood, pausing at the door, her hand grasping the handle. "Thank you, Charles. It means a lot to me that you value my opinion. I know I'm just an assistant, so really, thank you." She slipped through the door, and Charles watched her retreating figure through the window.

"You're so much more than an assistant, Liza. So much more." He whispered the words as he turned back to his desk, once more wishing he had the courage to state his true feelings for her, to her.

Liza stood at the edge of the Millennial launch party, taking her first moment to herself in what felt like a week. The last few days had been absolutely insane. Planning the launch party and holding Kelsey's hand through the changes had been crazy enough, but to add to that she was pretty sure Josh was ghosting her (Lauren's words), Diana was bound and determined to keep her busier than ever, she'd had next to no sleep because she was staying at Lauren's while Maggie Airbnb's the apartment and Lauren's dad seriously creeped her out, and she was feeling guiltier than ever about lying about her age to Kelsey. So here she stood, in her sky high stilettos that made her feet feel like they were going to fall off at any given moment, taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to clear her overcrowded mind.

Charles watched her from across the crowded rooftop, a smile tugging at his lips. He liked looking at her when she didn't know it, when she didn't think anyone was looking. He had hardly spoken to her all week – she had been flitting around planning this launch party, and Diana had been piling even more work on her than usual. It looked like she was taking a moment to relax before diving back into her hosting duties. Plucking up the courage, he began to weave his way through the crowd and over to her spot by the railing.

"Why are you not over there getting your picture taken?" He came up beside her and she jumped when she heard his voice, swallowing her last bite of food quickly.

"I don't photograph well. I smile too hard. It comes off as aggressive. I think the technical term is 'mean muggin'". She smiled up at him, and Charles couldn't possibly imagine someone describing her smile as aggressive. Genuine, stunning, bright, beautiful, but definitely not aggressive.

"I can't imagine that. You have such a nice and friendly mug." He leaned in a little closer to her as a group of people moved past him, so that his shoulder was brushing hers.

"Thank you. So do you." Liza turned her face up to him, thrown off by how close he was to her. If they both leaned in a little bit more, they might as well be kissing. She looked into his eyes for a moment, searching them. In this light they looked icy blue, specked with green.

"Liza! So sorry." Lauren appeared from nowhere, wrapping her birdlike arm around Liza's wrist, pulling her away before Charles could say another word.

Charles milled around for a bit, always keeping an eye out for Liza as he conversed with many of the social media influencers that had shown up tonight. He watched as she tried to calm Kelsey, who was clearly having some sort of freak out. They stood huddled in a corner with the tiny redhead that had pulled Liza away from him and a sandy haired younger man that Liza kept throwing daggers at. He had noticed that her boyfriend didn't appear to be anywhere around, and wondered silently, hopefully, if they had broken up. Kelsey and Liza disappeared for awhile, and he didn't spot either of them until he was standing up with a microphone to formally introduce Kelsey.

He handed the microphone over to Kelsey, listening to her speech as he retreated to the bar to refresh his drink. Turning, a flash of light caught his eye and he saw Liza standing towards the back of the crowd, her phone held up to her mouth as she spoke the words that Kelsey was repeating back to the crowd. A wave of emotion washed over him as he watched Liza smile brightly at Kelsey as she finished her speech. She was so incredibly selfless, so caring towards her friends and so completely genuine. He had never met anyone like her, and in that moment, decided that it was time to tell her how he felt, consequences be damned.

He sidled over to her as the crowd spread back out across the rooftop, swallowing the last of his drink. He needed some liquid courage. "That was quite the speech tonight."

"Yeah, she did great tonight."

Charles looked at her and smirked, trying to convey to her that he knew exactly what had just transpired. "Yeah, I think you both did a great job tonight. Even the trash to table turned out surprisingly well. I enjoyed my off grade sweet potato puffs."

She smiled, amused. "Yeah, who knew that restaurants just threw away pock marked potatoes. It's like America throwing away Brad Pitt or Edward James Olmos."

"So, where's your young man?" He needed to know before he said or did anything else.

Liza was caught off guard for a moment by his surprisingly personal question. "Uhm, I'm not sure there still is a young man." She answered honestly. Who knew where she and Josh stood – he hadn't spoken to her all week, and hadn't bothered to show up and support her tonight. "He's, uh, been ghosting me."

"Ghosting you?"

"Yeah, it's when someone evaporates into thin air with no explanation."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He said the words, but didn't really mean them. "Can I get you a glass of champagne?" He wanted to get her away from the crowd, somewhere where they could talk in private, but thought that a drink would be a good start.

"Yes, I'd like that, thank you."

He smiled back at her, brushing past her to head back to the bar. One step at a time, he told himself. Just talk to her, see how it goes. Maybe see if she wants to go for a walk. Then lay it out there and see what happens. He strummed his fingers on the bar, tossing a tip down and taking the two flutes of champagne from the bartender. He turned, smiling to himself, but the sight in front of him stopped him in his tracks. Liza, wrapped in a tight embrace with her boyfriend. The ghost had returned. He surveyed the guy for a moment. His brown hair was slicked back, and he was wearing ripped up jeans and a flannel shirt. Tattoos poked out of every sleeve visible. Charles plastered on his nicest face and walked over to them, noting how Liza pulled away from the guy as soon as she caught sight of Charles.

"Charles, hi, this is my boyfriend. This is Josh. Josh, this is my boss, Charles."

"Well, I guess the ghost made it to the feast after all. Uh, you two should celebrate." He reached out with the glasses of champagne, handing them over to Josh and Liza.

"Thanks." Josh reached out to shake his hand. At least he had some semblance of manners, Charles thought.

"Very nice to meet you, Josh." He was unable to help himself, though, and reached out to touch Liza's arm affectionately. "You did a great job tonight, Liza. You should be proud of yourself." He squeezed her arm lightly before disappearing into the crowd, cursing himself for thinking that this would go well. He knew that there was something there between the two of them. It was inevitable, but impossible.


	8. Chapter 8

Charles closed the door to his office, leaning back against the wall and sighed heavily. He could definitively say that he had never been more embarrassed in his life. Why anyone would post a picture of him like that boggled his mind. He was utterly mortified. He was suddenly incredibly thankful that his kids were still young and that he hadn't given in to their pleas for cell phones. He could only imagine what sidelong looks he would be getting from all the annoying soccer moms at afterschool pickup this afternoon. Today, maybe, he would have his on call nanny pick them up. He was already thoroughly humiliated and wasn't sure how much more he could take.

He had felt the eyes of everyone in the bullpen on him as he had walked to Diana's office. She might not be the most personable person, but this was a situation that he was confident she would be able to take care of. He hadn't expected Liza to be standing there when he opened the door. Why did she always throw him off so much? It was disarming, and it was frustrating him beyond words. He had made a point to keep his distance from her ever since the launch party, and had kept their conversations short, polite and in the presence of others for the past week. If he couldn't be with her, and there were so many reasons why he couldn't, and shouldn't, he needed to keep his feelings for her buried deep.

Charles walked over to the bar cart behind his desk, pouring a small amount of scotch into a glass, silently reliving the encounter in Diana's office. They had been staring at the computer screen when he entered, and he knew what they had been looking at. He had been determined not to look at Liza, not to meet her eyes. He felt like she could see right into his soul when he looked at her. He had directed his words to Diana, flushing when he saw Liza's gaze flicker from the floor to the screen to him. Had flushed even more when Liza had corrected Diana.

He had thanked them, retreating to his office quickly, his head down to avoid the enivitable staring. He felt like he was going to be sick.

Liza sat at lunch with Lauren, only half listening to what the chatty redhead was babbling on about. Her mind kept wandering back to poor Charles. She couldn't imagine what he was going through, having a picture like that circulating on the internet. He had looked so embarrassed, so sheepish when he had come into Diana's office.

She hadn't been sure where to direct her gaze and had shifted uncomfortably, first looking at the floor, then at the computer screen, then at Charles himself. She'd never been successful at keeping her emotions off of her face. David had always told her that he knew exactly what she was feeling by looking at her face. And right at that moment, she had been partly mortified and partly in awe. Charles was clearly a magnificent specimen of a man, and now everyone knew that he had the equipment to match the rest of his impressive physique. She had been trying to figure out her feelings for him, and this wasn't going to make it any easier. And now it was her responsibility to make this go away. It was going to be a long day.

Liza spent the better part of the rest of her day emailing back and forth with Lauren. Every time they got the picture off of one site, it popped up on another. She felt like she was playing whack a mole. So she hadn't been surprised when she discovered, after finally making it home, that she had forgotten her cell phone at the office. If it had been any other day she would have left it there, but she needed it to keep in touch with Lauren if they were going to keep this situation under control.

She stepped off of the elevator door, cutting through the darkened bullpen to her desk where her cell phone sat, waiting to be collected. Slipping it into her jacket pocket she turned, but a light caught her eye and she stopped, debating her next steps.

The blinds to Charles' office were pulled shut, but she could see the faint glow of a light emanating from underneath the door and around the edge of the blinds. She wasn't really surprised that he was still here – he'd had a distracting day and probably hadn't gotten much work done. She knew she should just go home, but she needed to make sure that he was okay.

Pushing open the door to his office, she saw him sitting on the couch by the window, a glass of scotch in one hand, his forehead resting in his other palm. An abandoned stack of papers lay on the coffee table in front of him.

Charles looked up as the door creaked open, expecting to see George, the janitor, coming in for his evening cleaning. The last person he expected to see was Liza.

"You okay?" She asked softly, stepping into his office and closing the door behind her. "Do you mind?" She gestured to the spot on the couch next to him, and he nodded his assent.

"What are you doing here so late?" He didn't answer her question – he was definitely not okay.

"I forgot my cell phone." She lifted the lime green encased phone from her pocket, setting it on the table in front of her.

"I'm about ready to throw mine off the roof." He really was. The day had only gotten worse. His email was flooded, and while he loved his friends, they were taking way too much pleasure in this. His college roommmates, Bob and Jay, had been texting him with jokes that belonged in a locker room all day long, and after the third or fourth one, he had silenced his cell phone. Someone on Twitter had even given the picture a viral hashtag, #empiriconda, which had only fueled the fire. He had stayed ensconced in his office for the rest of the day, only stepping out when necessary. Diana had come in at one point, promising him that she and Liza were doing everything in their power to take care of the situation. Liza had apparently pulled in a publicist friend who was helping her get the picture removed from as many websites as possible. The thought that Liza was spending her afternoon focused on a picture of his junk had proved incredibly distracting.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did." She said softly, tucking her feet up under her, her skirt flaring out over her long legs. How he just wanted to reach out and touch her. He imagined her skin was soft and silky, and he just wanted to run his hands over her.

He sighed, running his hand over his face and downing his scotch. "I didn't even know that someone had taken that picture. I hate technology, sometimes."

"Hey, it could have been worse."

"How could it have possibly been worse?" He asked her in all seriousness, sitting up a bit to look at her.

Liza bit her lip for a second, slightly amused. "Well, uhhhh, umm…it just felt like that was the right thing to say at the moment." A small giggle escaped her, and Charles started to laugh.

"Exactly."

"Well, if a picture like that had to go viral, the alternative probably would have been worse."

"The alternative?"

Liza blushed. "They could have been talking about how….ummm, unimpressive…..things are down there. At least this way getting a date might be a little bit easier."

Charles raised his eyebrows, looking at her reddened face before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

"Yeah, I guess that's something." He chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Not like I imagine you have any trouble getting a date." Liza carried on, emboldened. She wasn't sure if it was the lateness of the hour or the glass of wine she had drank with Maggie earlier or the fact that she and Charles were all alone in a darkened office with no one around, but she didn't feel as nervous as she usually did around him. "You're this intelligent, charming, charismatic, incredibly handsome bachelor. You're kind and funny and respectful, and you have two amazing daughters. Any woman would be lucky to have you. I can't even imagine why your wife left." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself and she regarded him cautiously, waiting to gauge his reaction.

"Incredibly handsome and charming, huh?" He teased her, leaning over and nudging her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, that was unprofessional."

Before he could stop himself, Charles reached out and grabbed her hand. "It's okay, Liza. Don't worry about it. If anything, I'm flattered at the compliment." He squeezed her hand reassuringly, trying to convey to her that it was okay. It was better than okay, actually. He knew that Liza was genuine in everything that she said, that she did, and it was heartwarming to hear someone say those things about him. He hadn't been on a date since Pauline left, and while he knew that he was generally attractive, no one had said something like that to him in a long time.

"I'm sorry." She lowered her head, her eyes focusing on the carpet. He reached over and tilted her chin up to him with his index finger.

"Don't apologize, Liza." He said it softly. "I mean it. You were just trying to be kind to a friend. I, I hope you consider me a friend." He lowered his hand from her face, clasping her hand with both of his. "You have this way of making people feel better, Liza. It's like the mood lightens every time you walk in the room. It's special. You're special."

Liza looked up at him, into his kind warm eyes. His hands were wrapped around her one hand, and her skin felt like it was on fire. Their faces were only inches from each other, and if she leaned in just a bit, she could kiss him. They looked at each other for a moment, the silence falling heavily around them.

The door opened suddenly, causing Liza to startle and jump backwards as the janitor wheeled in a garbage can.

"Oh, sorry, didn't know anyone was still in here. Ms. Liza, Mr. Brooks." He turned, wheeling his cart over towards the desk.

"I, I should go." Liza stood, reaching down to pick up her phone. Charles stood with her, his face flushed.

"I meant what I said, Liza. Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded, hustling out of the room quickly. Her hand still felt warm where he had touched her, her stomach full of butterflies, a smile tugging at her lips.


	9. Chapter 9

Charles paced back and forth in his dimly lit living room on Friday night, his fingers hovering over the L section of contacts on his phone. Should he call her? He wanted to. He needed help with this By the Book piece for the New York Times. His answers were due to the writer of the piece on Monday, and he was second guessing every answer he had considered so far. And the only person he could think of to talk about it with was Liza. His finger hovered over her name. It was Friday night, she probably had plans. Plans with her boyfriend. He considered the possibilities for a moment. The girls were at a sleepover until Saturday afternoon. Would she say yes if he invited her over for drinks, or dinner under the guise of helping him with the article? A few glasses of wine, some ambiance, and maybe neither of them would care about the consequences.

_Just call her man_, he thought, _what's the worst that could happen?_

She picked up on the second ring and Charles felt his heart pick up speed. He could barely hear her over the music and voices wherever she was. He heard her say something about being near the bratwurst tent. Where the hell was she?

"I like mine with sauerkraut and onions." He joked, rolling his eyes at himself. Real smooth.

"What?" She sounded tired and faintly annoyed.

"I'm kidding. It's, it's Charles. I'm so sorry to interrupt your weekend. I just had a quick question about this By the Book thing."

"Oh, hey. No worries. I'm, uh, at a bluegrass festival. Camping. Josh's band is playing tomorrow."

He rolled his eyes again. Josh. The boyfriend. "That sounds….fun."

"Oh yeah. I've been here 5 minutes and I'm ready to go already. This isn't exactly my style."

He couldn't picture Liza at a bluegrass festival, camping with a crowd of drunken musicians and hipsters. Maybe it was his bias, but there wasn't much about her boyfriend that seemed like they were similar. But maybe he didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

"Uh, what question do you need help with?" She prompted him.

"What was your favorite book as a child? Uh, I don't want to lie."

"Why would you lie?"

"I was never much a reader, but I loved baseball, so I just told everybody that my baseball coach said reading would ruin my eyesight and I'd never hit a curveball again."

Liza laughed through the phone. "I would have guessed you were a bookworm."

"Yeah, when your father owns a publishing house, most people think that. Um, I did read comic books at the dinner table, which he hated."

"So not reading was your form of rebellion."

"Yeah, until I was 12, and then I found more creative ways to torture my parents." He smiled as she giggled again. The sound of her laughter was like an instant mood booster to him, and he smiled as he settle onto the couch. Inviting her over was out the window, but he would settle for talking to her.

"Well, if you're going to lie, which I'm not suggesting, because…."

"Lying is bad."

"Uh, yes, but, in certain cases, acceptable. Even necessary."

"Go on." There she went again, wise beyond her years. Some of the things she said just completely surprised him.

"I would go with To Kill a Mockingbird."

"Excellent idea. I don't think that the Hulk is going to cut it." He smiled to himself as they both laughed, though it faded a bit when he heard her boyfriend in the background. He bid her goodnight, reluctantly hitting the end call button on the screen. What he wouldn't give for just a few more minutes talking to her.

Liza sat on the bed in the bed and breakfast, looking down at the picture on her phone. She couldn't bring herself to hit send. In the bathroom she could hear Josh moving around, the running water of the shower.

This weekend had been a disaster, the only bright spot being her contact with Charles. They had texted back and forth all day Saturday after he had called her early in the morning, up until that humiliating text that she had sent that had been meant for Josh. She could only imagine his face when he had received that text. She could feel herself blushing even hours later, even after she had spoken to him and apologized, even after he had paid for this gorgeous room for them for the night.

Things had been a little awkward between them for the past couple weeks, ever since that intimate moment they had shared in his office. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel his hands wrapped around hers, his finger grazing her face. She was sure that he would have kissed her if George hadn't interrupted them. She knew that she would have kissed him. There was something between them, it was an undeniable fact.

"Babe! Hurry up!"

Feeling awash with guilt, she deleted the picture off of her phone. If Josh only knew what I was thinking about, who I was thinking about, she thought, he'd be heartbroken. She shot off a last text to Charles.

_Thank you for the room. It's beautiful. And it was my pleasure to help you with the article this weekend. I can't wait to read it. I'll see you Monday._

Liza folded the newspaper up on the table next to her, smiling to herself. She had grabbed a copy of the New York Times on the way to work, making a pit stop at her favorite diner a few blocks from the office, ordering French Toast and snagging a booth by the window to read this week's By The Book.

His answers were witty, clever and funny, and she felt a little thrill when she read through his quotes. He had used some of her suggestions, taken her advice to be honest rather than to try to impress. Her eyes continued to flicker back to the picture of him that accompanied the article. Even in black and white, he was stunning, his eyes piercing. He looked like a GQ model.

"So, what did you think?"

The voice startled her and she jumped back in her seat. Charles leaned against the side of the booth, a to go bag in hand. He nodded at the folded newspaper laying on the chipped tabletop. She put on her best teasing voice.

"Oh, you know, it was okay. The guy they interviewed sounds like a bit of a stiff."

Charles chuckled and gestured at the empty booth seat across from her. "Do you mind?"

"No, of course not. French toast?"

"What else?"

Liza leaned forward and rested her chin on her clasped hands, leaning towards him a little conspiratorially. "I loved the article, Charles. Really, it was wonderful."

He sighed, happily, not realizing how much he had been worried about what she thought. He had put a great deal of time into his answers and truly believed it would have been a disaster if it weren't for her. "Really, you liked it?"

She was thrown off by how concerned he seemed. She couldn't understand quite yet why her opinion meant so much to him. "Yes, really. It was honest, and your answers were clever, witty." She watched as he started to cut into his breakfast, a satisfied smile creeping across his face.

"Well, thank you for walking me through it. It would have been a disaster if it weren't for your help. You saved my ass."

"Infinitely worth saving."

Charles paused for a moment, slowly chewing the piece of toast in his mouth as his eyes met Liza's. He swallowed his food, took a sip of coffee.

"It was fun working on it with you. I know I might be in publishing, but I don't feel like there's a lot of people I can really, you know, talk to, about literature. How it's impacted my life, why it's important to me. I can talk to anyone about a book, but to really connect with someone about my biggest passion, well, you're the only person I feel like I can talk to about it." He trailed off on his ramblings and looked up at her in earnest.

"It was fun. I enjoy working with you, Charles. Talking to you. Honestly, it was the highlight of my weekend."

He felt his heart soar as she spoke, thrilled that she had valued their conversations this past weekend so much. That talking to him had trumped a weekend away with her boyfriend. He didn't quite know what to make of how she made him feel.

"How was the festival?"

Liza rolled her eyes, laughing. "It was terrible. I'm never doing that again. It was all mud and drunk hipsters and stale beer. They didn't even have coffee. The bed and breakfast was amazing. I don't think I would have made it another day."

"Well, I'm happy to have saved the day." He refrained from mentioning that he had fantasized about being there with her, about driving up and meeting her there and spending the rest of the weekend ensconced in a warm, cozy room, just the two of them.

"We loved it. Thank you again, so much."

_We. _The word cut through him like a knife. Of course, she had gone with her boyfriend. Josh. The tattoo artist. The bluegrass band member. He had no clue why she was with a guy like that. Because she's 26 and he's 26, you idiot, he thought to himself. Every time he got close to her, fell for her a little bit more, he was reminded that she wasn't his to fall for. She was in love with someone else, and someone else was in love for her. He needed to respect that.

"Well, I'm glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed it. Listen, I've got to head out. Early meeting. See you in a bit." He stood abruptly, shoving his half eaten breakfast into a nearby garbage can. He no longer had an appetite.

"Uh, yeah. See you in a bit, Charles."

He closed his eyes as he turned away from her, as she said his name a little bit breathless. He felt a shiver creep down his spine every time she said his name. He needed to put some distance between the two of them, or she was going to be his undoing, he was sure of it.


	10. Chapter 10

Liza couldn't stop thinking about Charles. She knew she shouldn't be, but she just couldn't help it. She'd barely seen him at the office for the past two weeks, and that had only made matters worse.

Her life was complicated enough without throwing in her feeling for her boss and all of the complications and confusion that came along with it. Her life had changed so much in the last couple of weeks. First, Josh had broken up with her. She didn't blame him. He wanted to live a honest, authentic life, and she was lying to almost everyone in her life. It still hurt, even if a small part of her had been relieved that he had ended it. She thought she'd found a distraction in a sexy new author, but that had come to a quick, disgusting end. What she had seen in that barn still made her want to hurl. And that was after an awkward run in with Josh and his new girlfriend, Greta. Then her nemesis Cheryl Sussman had reared her nasty, blackmailing head again. Liza was kind of proud of herself in the way she head dealt with that, plus now she had someone she could talk to about her screwed up life. She had agreed to be a case study for Dr. Ray and was hoping that her plan wouldn't backfire. During all this Kelsey had managed to break up and then reconcile with Thad, resulting in a big fat diamond on her ring finger. And how could she forget about her disaster of a one night stand with her husband? Worst mistake yet.

But despite all of this, she couldn't get Charles off of her brain. He had apparently taken his daughters out of town for a few days before leaving for a week long conference. She'd only seen him briefly in the office between trips, their eyes meeting across the bullpen. He had smiled at her, and god, that did things to her. Those intense gazes and small smiles liquified her insides. She couldn't think straight when he looked at her like that.

He would be back in the office today, and she was looking forward to seeing him again. She liked being around him, even if they were in a crowded room of people. Their biggest author, Edward LL Moore, was releasing the final book in his fantasy series, which had become Empirical's most profitable franchise. Liza had never met Moore, but had heard from Kelsey that he was a "handful." It would make for an interesting couple of days, that was for sure.

Charles stood off to the side of the stage, taking in the scene around him, waiting for Liza to reemerge from the costume tend. Times Square was packed to the brim with Crown of Kings fans. He watched Diana on stage with Edward – she was in her element. He knew he couldn't have gotten through the release without her, especially given his absence over the last few weeks.

He'd been gone for the better part of two weeks, first taking the girls on a trip out of state for his cousin's wedding before returning and departing for a business trip. He hated that he would be gone from his kiddos for a whole week, hated that he had to be away from work. From Liza. He couldn't get her out of his head, as much as he tried. Whenever he had a spare moment his mind seemed to wander back to him.

It hadn't helped that he had heard from a gossiping, newly engaged Kelsey outside of his office door that Liza and her boyfriend had split up. He knew that his morality, his ever annoying conscious had kept him from making a move on a girl who was already taken. He just couldn't do it, even though he wanted to with every fiber of his being. Now that she was single, what was going to stop him?

He'd watched her last night at dinner with Diana and Moore. Personally, he couldn't stand Moore, but he was pretty much the main reason why Charles was able to make payroll every month, as much as he hated to admit it. The man was inappropriate on a good day, and it had made his skin crawl to see the nasty old man leer at Liza. Had hated himself a little bit when he let it carry on despite Liza being visibly uncomfortable. How he had wished it was just the two of them having dinner in that darkened restaurant. He had visualized sneaking a hand under the table, touching her, teasing her. Had visualized them sharing a bottle of wine and getting lost in conversation for hours. He knew he had to get ahold of these impulses. But, good lord, he craved her. Everything about her turned him on, captivated him.

He felt the rustle of canvas and sensed Liza's presence behind him. He was grateful that she was indulging them by dressing up in some warrior princess costume for an hour or two. It seemed to thrill Edward, at least. He turned to greet her and felt like his stomach had dropped out of the bottom of his chest. He couldn't breathe, and suddenly it felt if all the blood in his body was moving quickly south.

Liza squirmed in the costume, if you could call it that. She hadn't worn anything this revealing in public in while, ever. The "costume" was a fur bikini that left very little to the imagination. She felt herself blush as Charles turned to greet her. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head.

"That's the costume?" He asked, incredulous. She stood before him in what appeared to be a fur bikini. He couldn't help but let his eyes travel down her body. She was more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. His eyes trailed down her bare abdomen to her long, long legs.

"Yeah, well, it may be tiny, but at least it's fur." He felt a pang of guilt as she squirmed uncomfortably, shifting the fur cape that came with costume up around her shoulders. She had a gorgeous body, but she was clearly shy. He hated that she was being forced to parade around like than for Moore. That he was contributing to her being uncomfortable.

"I really appreciate this, Liza. This is above and beyond." He meant every word.

Liza looked down bashfully. "Anything for you. I mean, for Empirical. For the company." He smiled kindly at her as she blushed again, holding his hand out to her to help her climb onstage.

"Thank you for stepping in with Edward." She said quietly, pulling Charles's suit jacket closer around her bare shoulders. He'd been like a knight in shining armor, swooping in and pulling her away from Edward. He'd covered her with his jacket and wrapped his arms around her. She couldn't fully describe how safe she had felt in his arms.

"I should have done it hours ago." He replied, a lingering edge to his voice. When he had seen Moore touching Liza, trying to slip her his hotel key, Charles had seen red. He'd acted before thinking, jumping in and pulling her away from that old pervert. "Except…" He carried off, a little hesitant.

Liza nodded, as if she understood what he was trying to say. "He's a big deal for Empirical."

"Oh, to say the least." Sighed Charles. As much as he wished it wasn't true, his company needed Moore in order to survive. Without another big series bringing in the cash, Empirical would go bankrupt in a matter of months. "The truth is, every time that he comes to town, I can't breathe. The idea that my company, my grandfather's company, can't exist without the overwritten fantasies of some handsy old man…." He trailed off, sighing again. Here he was again, opening up to her without even realizing what he was doing. Making himself vulnerable.

"They really are overwritten."

"Thank you." There she went again, agreeing with him. If she were anyone else he might think she was trying to pacify him. But when Liza spoke, he could tell that she meant every word.

Liza smiled slyly back at him. "Are you sure you don't want to know about the sales on Amazon?"

He was distracted by her smile and only heard half of what she said. Something about the Amazon sales.

"Umm, only if they're good. What?" He smiled back at her, trying to read the expression on her face.

"It's number one by a mile."

Liza noticed his smile seemed to falter a bit as he processed the good news. Was it good news? "Oh, I thought you'd be happier."

Charles took a drink of the whiskey in front of him, letting it warm his throat as it went down. "Ahh, I'm more relieved than happy." He paused, debating whether he should say what was on his mind. The look in Liza's eyes, warm and curious and kind, gave him the answer he was looking for. "There's this small part of me that always secretly hopes that maybe this time…."

"The whole thing would just come crashing down already?" Liza could relate to that. The lie she was perpetuating, it had resulted in a great job and friends and some wonderful memories, but part of her just wished the bottom would fall out and she could start anew.

"It's a lot." Charles said quietly, his voice a little husky. "Year after year of wondering if we'll make it. And sometimes I wonder what it would be like if the bottom dropped out and I had to start over again. What would I do?" His voice faltered as Liza's hand snaked out from underneath his jacket, across the table. Her fingers touched his, ever so gently and he caught his breath.

"What would you do?" She asked earnestly.

Her question caught him off guard. He'd never been asked that by anyone. His life had been planned out for him since birth. Private school, 3rd generation Princeton legacy. He had majored in Business and English, interned at Empirical and started working as an Editor there a week after graduation. He'd married the pretty society girl, taken over the business, had children. If his life was a checklist he had worked his way through the list, methodically crossing one achievement off after another. Until the bottom had fell out when Pauline left. And here he was sitting in a dark bar with a pretty woman 14 years younger than him. A pretty girl he was pretty sure he was falling in love with. He felt free with Liza. More free than he had ever felt before. So what would he do?

"I don't know." He hesitated, but answered honestly.

Liza tilted her head and watched him. "Well, what's something you've always wanted to do, something you couldn't do because of your job?"

Kiss you, he thought. Be with you, Liza. It was the first thing that came to mind, the one thing he wanted to tell her but knew he couldn't. "Do you really want to know?" He asked softly, tilting his head, a smile crossing his face.

"Yeah, I do." Liza answered, breathless, meeting his eyes with hers. She squeezed his hand, watching as he leaned in towards her.

The moment was over before it even started. Liza glanced down at her vibrating cell phone, the smile disappearing from her face instantaneously.

"I'm sorry, I've got to go." She was up and out the door before Charles could say anything, leaving him bewildered, flustered and a lot disappointed.

Liza stood in a quiet corner at the Weber residence, sipping a glass of water with one hand and staring down at a picture of Thad. The last few days had been so surreal. She couldn't get the image out of her head. That piece of construction material falling out of the sky, killing Thad instantly, missing her by inches. Her life could have been over just as quick as his had ended. Thad's going to haunt me forever, she thought, tearing her eyes away from the picture. Kelsey was corned by Chad on the opposite side of the room, mid conversation.

She took a step into the room, hesitant. She didn't want to be here, but she had to support Kelsey. She couldn't imagine what she was going through. She caught Diana's eye and was waved over. Charles was standing next to her, looking ridiculously handsome in a black suit and tie.

"How's Kelsey, Liza?" Diana asked, sipping a glass of white wine. It wasn't even noon yet.

"I, uh, I don't really know. I haven't talked to her yet." Her eyes flickered up to Charles, who smiled down at her kindly. Diana pursed her lips and spotted one of Kelsey's author's over Liza's shoulder, stalking off to converse with him, leaving Liza alone with Charles.

"How are you, Liza?" He asked softly. She looked tired. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. She had lost a friend, after all. When he had heard that she was there, that she had narrowly missed death herself, he had wanted to drop everything and go to her. She'd only been in his life for a short while now, but he couldn't imagine a life without her in it.

"I'm, uhm," She laughed, a little hysterical. "I'm terrible. It could have been me. Hell, it should have been me."

He wasn't sure what she was talking about, but he reached up and rubbed her arm. "You can't think like that, Liza. You just can't. You're here for a reason."

"And what reason is that?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but Kelsey was waving her over. Every time he got close to admitting to her his feeling, someone, something interrupted them. It was frustrating as hell. She flashed him a small smile and crossed over to her friend.

He stood there for a few minutes, watching her converse with Kelsey and Thad's brother. Smiled as Liza rolled her eyes and made her way over to the wine. He was just about to go up to her and ask her if she wanted to leave when a familiar face crossed the room. His tattoos were hidden, but Charles recognized Josh, Liza's ex boyfriend. The two spoke for a moment, their backs to him, before turning and leaning against the table. They spoke softly, but he watched as Josh sidled closer to Liza and whispered something in her ear before taking her hand. And he watched as Liza took his hand and the two walked out the front door together, not looking back.

Once again, he'd missed his chance. He wouldn't let it happen again. The next time he saw her, that was it. He was telling her how he felt.

Two days later and he still hadn't seen her. He'd been out of the office the day after the funeral, but had been sure that he would see her today. Even Kelsey was here, but Liza seemed to be conspicuously missing. He stood at the coffee bar, mixing a little bit of cream into his drink when he saw Diana stalk by him towards Kelsey, who was standing by the window, staring morosely at her phone.

He tried to tune out Diana's thunderous voice, but the mention of a non disclosure agreement and someone quitting caught his attention.

"Who?"

"Liza."

"Liza quit?!" Diana's response felt like someone had bashed him in the head. Liza was gone? How? Why? He could feel the blood rushing to his head, his vision blurring. She couldn't be gone. He needed her in his life. He took a few deep breaths, trying to control the bubble of anger inside of him.

"I'm going to make some calls, find out where she took a job." He'd do whatever he could to get her back. A promotion, a raise, anything it took. He needed her.

A day later, Charles sat in his car outside the Paramus Mall. He couldn't believe that she was working here. What had happened between her and Kelsey that had been so catastrophic to force her to flee to the suburbs?

He'd been thrilled when Kelsey and Diana had both declined trying to lure Liza back to the company. This was his opportunity. Even if he failed to convince her to return to Empirical, maybe, just maybe, he could convince her to take a chance on him. He wanted her, in whatever capacity she would allow.

He walked into the mall, which was surprisingly crowded, ignoring the gaping looks he got from the nearby women sitting on a bench near the door. He consulted the mall directory, locating the store that Kelsey had named. He felt his pace and his heartbeat quicken as the store came into view. Now he just had to find her in this maze. He wandered around for awhile, scanning every person that came into view. Making his way into the men's section, he saw a tall girl with shiny brown hair organizing ties in a display. Her back was to him, but her profile was unmistakable. Liza.

For a moment he stared at her, the rest of the world fading away. He couldn't see anyone else, couldn't hear anything else. He watched as she quietly arranged ties, like this was part of her everyday life. How could she just so nonchalantly act like this was normal, like this was a life that she had been living for years?

He swallowed hard, suddenly desperate for something clever to say. He couldn't stand here gaping at her like a fool. She was going to turn around eventually. Taking a deep breath he stepped forward, slowly climbing down the steps into the display area.

"I'm looking for something…bold, but not too crazy." He said slowly, trying to keep his voice even.

Liza stiffened as she heard his voice. It couldn't be. Her heart quickened as she glanced at the reflection in the glass. It was him.

She turned, glancing at him nervously. She knew that they would find her eventually, especially since the run in with Lauren's mom. But she hadn't expected that Charles would come here himself.

"Uhm," she stammered, grabbing a purple tie off the display, "How about this, um, purple paisley." She held the tie out to him, his finger grazing hers as he took it from her.

"Trying too hard." He smiled at her.

"Can't be scared of fashion."

"What are you doing here, Liza?" And what can I do to get you back, he thought.

"You wouldn't understand."

"I think I do. Look, I know when you're young, you think you're responsible for all kinds of things that you have nothing to do with. But you're not. Most things in life are out of your control. You work hard and you try to be good, but shit happens."

He looked at her earnestly, silently pleading her to come back. She bit her lip, glancing down at the floor.

"I appreciate you saying that."

"We want you back at Empirical." And I want you in my life. I want you, Liza, he thought.

"I don't know, I…."

"Just think about it." He turned to leave, laying the tie on the glass display top. Charles put his foot on the step, but stopped and turned, looking at Liza. In that second, he knew what he was going to do.

"While you're at it," he said quietly, huskily. "Think about this." He crossed the few steps to her and cupped her face in his hands. And kissed her, finally, like he had been longing to do for months.

Liza felt like her body was on fire. His lips were on hers, gentle and soft, but warm and intense at the same time. His hands cupped her face, his thumbs grazing her cheekbones as he pressed his body against hers. He pushed against her before pulling away reluctantly. His hand still grazed her face as he pulled away, looking down at her. Her lips were parted slightly, her eyes wide. Her lips had been soft and warm, and all he wanted to do was to kiss her again, and again. He could spend the rest of his life kissing her. But they were in the middle of a crowded department store, so he pulled away slowly.

"I will definitely give that a lot of thought." Liza said, unable to tear her eyes away from him. That had felt so good. He smiled, nodded and turned away, grabbing the purple paisley tie as he went, leaving Liza to wonder what the hell had just happened.


	11. Chapter 11

Charles sat at the empty bar, staring down at the message on the screen of his phone. She wasn't coming. Rattling the ice in his glass, he sighed, disappointed. He had thought for sure that she would come meet him.

It had been 3 days since he had kissed her in the middle of the men's department of that department store that she had fled to after her fight with Kelsey. His heart had leapt the next morning when he saw her through the window in his office, stepping off the elevator. He had gone to talk to her that morning, but when he had walked by Kelsey's office he had seen her hugging and consoling a crying Kelsey. It wasn't the time. So he had held waited until the next day, asked her to meet him, if she wanted. She had smiled back at him when he had propositioned her and his heart had leapt again.

But here he sat, alone. She said that something had come up. Maybe she wasn't blowing him off. Maybe something had actually happened, maybe she had planned on coming. Or maybe, he thought, an image of her ex boyfriend popping into his head, someone had come up. Or maybe this was a sign that whatever was going on between them was just not meant to be. Not now. He knocked back the rest of his drink, tossing a few bills down on the bar. Maybe his friend Bob was right. He should just let her go. He had to let her go. Agonizing over her was killing him.

Liza leaned up against the outside of the hotel, taking a few deep breaths. In a city as big as New York, how the hell did it happen that Charles happened to know two people who knew her true identity, her true age? She had panicked when she saw Caitlin's roommate's parents standing in the bar, talking to Charles. Her fight or flight instincts had kicked in, and she had ran.

She could feel her heart sinking as she calmed down. She had wanted to be here with Charles tonight. She looked down at her white dress, the one she had bought this afternoon. It was modest but fun, and she had curled her hair and freshened her makeup. Maggie had been right, she had planned on kissing him again. She wanted to feel his warm, soft lips against hers, his strong hands on her body. His kiss had through her for a loop – it had been passionate but gentle, and had left her lips tingling for hours. She knew things were complicated with her being his employee, but they could figure that out, right? It's not like dating within the company was illegal, right? She knew Josh wanted to get back together, but she knew in her heart that she wanted to explore things with Charles. She and Josh were walking down a diverging path, and she knew that at some point, things would come to an end. She had hated sending that text to Charles that she wasn't coming to meet him. She debated peeking her head in to see if Bob and Julia were gone. If they were, she would go in. She took a deep breath and went to push open the door, but her phone started vibrating. An SOS from Kelsey. That wasn't good. Sighing, she turned her back on the Carlyle, on Charles, on what could have been.

"It was just a kiss, Liza."

The words echoed in her brain as she leaned against the bathroom door. She had been desperate to explain to him why she hadn't showed up. He had acted like nothing was wrong when she saw him. Of course he had, she thought. He was the consummate professional. He'd never accost her at the office. Never show his anger. But she could tell he was upset. He hadn't even turned to look at her. He had stared at the screen in front of him, gritted his teeth, and effectively told her to forget about it. She wanted to cry right then and there, but had saved her tears for the bathroom. She hated herself for what she had done. She'd hurt and disappointed one of the people she had come to care deeply for, that she had developed strong feelings for.

If only she knew that Charles had been unable to look at her. He knew that if he looked at her his resolve would dissipate. He had seen her bite her lip out of the corner of his eye, had thought he had seen her eyes water just a little bit, and it had taken every ounce of self control that he had to not turn and take her in his arms in the middle of that crowded conference room. He needed her to know that they both needed to move one. He couldn't deal with this anymore if he was going to maintain his sanity. It just wasn't meant to be, no matter how much he wanted it.

Liza knocked gently on Charles's office door, slowly pushing it open. He had disappeared from the bullpen after making the announcement about Bryce's investment. She had been trying to pin him down to talk to him for what felt like weeks now. She wanted to explain her side of things to him. She needed him to understand why she hadn't met him that night, even if was only a partial truth. She'd barely been able to speak to him at all, had only passed him in crowded hallways or conversed in a crowded conference room. The office was hardly the place to discuss their personal relationship, if they even had one anymore. So when she had seen that he had left his cell phone sitting on a table in the break area, she knew she had to take the opportunity to talk to him.

"Come in." Liza pushed open the door slowly, peeking inside. He didn't immediately look up from the papers he was shuffling through on his desk. His tie was loosened, his jacket tossed on the couch and his shirtsleeves rolled up.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt."

Charles looked up at the sound of her soft voice. She hadn't stepped foot in his office in a few weeks. He had made every effort to not be alone in a room with her. He'd been proud of himself. He still had feeling for her, he couldn't deny that, but he had made every effort to be professional and courteous, to transform their dynamic back into a friendly, reporting relationship. Yes, he wanted to grab her and push her against his office door and kiss her into oblivion, but that just wasn't an option. Especially since she had let slip at that dinner with Bryce that she and her ex "were trying to work things out." Clearly she felt that they both needed to move on as well.

"You're not interrupting. Come in." He gestured for her to sit down in the chair across from him.

"You, uh, you left your phone in the bullpen. I didn't want anyone to grab it." She held her hand out, shivering when he took the phone from her, his fingers grazing hers.

"Oh, thanks. That wouldn't have been good."

"No." Liza bit her lip and looked around awkwardly.

"Thanks again for your help with Bryce, Liza. I think you and Kelsey really sealed the deal for us. His investment is really going to help."

"We're happy to help." She paused for a moment before opening her mouth to speak.

"I need to…."

"LIZA!" She sighed, rolling her eyes as Diana shrieked her name and Charles chuckled.

"Can we talk later?" She stood, smoothing the lines in her skirt.

"We can talk anytime, Liza. That hasn't changed."

She tilted her and looked back at him as she opened the door to leave. "Everything's changed."

Liza stumbled out of the bathroom, fumbling with her dress. It was more revealing than she was comfortable with, and she had practically had to strip it off to use the restroom. Now she couldn't get the zipper up, and the thin strip of dress that went up her back was wide open. She looked around for Josh, but he was nowhere to be found. She began to retreat back into the bathroom; she didn't have any interest in flashing the upper echelon of New York society tonight.

"Liza?"

She closed her eyes for a second, swearing to herself before turning. Charles stood in the hallway before her looking like James Bond in a gorgeous tuxedo.

"Charles, hi." She flushes as she held the front of her dress together in an attempt to not flash her boobs at her boss.

"Wow, um, I didn't know you were going to be here. This is a surprise." The sight of her in that dress was doing things to him, and he felt like an idiot, struggling to string two words together.

"Diana gave me the tickets."

Charles noticed that she seemed to be struggling with her dress. One of her hands was pressed to her chest, the other fumbling behind her back. "Do you need a hand with that?" He smiled slightly and raised his eyebrows as she blushed.

"Yes, I do," she sighed, visibly relieved. "Do you mind?"

Charles's breath caught in his chest as she took two steps towards him and turned around. Her bare back was exposed to him, the zipper of her dress hanging loose on her lower back. He took a step forward so that he was inches from her.

Liza closed her eyes as she reached up and pulled her hair to the side, taking in a sharp breath when she felt his hand on her lower back. His touch seemed to be setting her body on fire. She could feel her heartbeat accelerate as he began to zip up her dress, slowly. She wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose or if he was just trying to be careful with the material, but it felt deeply intimate. His hands trailed up with the zipper, caressing her bare back. She took a deep breath, exhaling loudly when she felt his fingers on her neck before he pulled away. She felt him take a step back, and the heat left her body like the air out of a balloon.

Charles stepped back from her, his whole body radiating his desire for her. Having her so close to him, seeing that expanse of taught, sexy skin on her back, well it had just about undone him. She turned to meet his gaze, and the look on her face immediately made him forget all his well laid plans about moving on from her. Her eyes were dark with desire, her face flushed. She took a step toward him and he started to move towards her. He didn't care if a hundred people saw him, all he wanted to do was kiss her.

"Charles!" A voice behind him pulled both Charles and Liza out of their reverie. Liza jumped as a gorgeous woman in a yellow dress stepped into the hallway, wrapping her arm around Charles and leaning into him. Of course he was here with a date, she thought, so are you.

"Radha." Charles looked between Liza and his date. Liza's face was clear of emotion – anything he had thought he had seen on her face was long gone now. "This is, uh, a colleague of mine. Liza Miller."

Radha reached out a thin arm, taking Liza's hand. She glanced up and down at Liza, sizing her up. Liza smiled tightly back at her, accepting the handshake. "It's lovely to meet you, Radha."

"You too. And what do you do at Empirical?"

"Oh, I'm just an assistant."

Charles interjected, smiling brightly at Liza. "She's being modest. Liza's co-running our Millennial imprint. How did it go today with those Internet stars?" He thought he saw Radha's smile falter a bit as he address Liza, but he didn't really care. She was nice, pretty and intelligent, but he didn't feel anything for her. If anything, she was a bit pretentious.

"The Stoopid Girls." Liza intoned, rolling her eyes.

Charles chuckled at the look on her face. Clearly it hadn't been a productive meeting. "A favor to our new investor, a young guy in tech. And Liza's imprint is the shiny penny that keeps him interested in Empirical."

"That's me, shiny penny." Liza smiled back at Charles, faltering when she saw Radha's face turn impassive. They were interrupted by Josh and moments later the bell rang, indicating that it was time for them to take their seats.

Charles climbed into the car after Radha, but not before turning and glancing back at Liza. He felt a pang of annoyance, or maybe jealously, as he saw her embrace Josh on the sidewalk before hailing a cab. He sighed, slamming the car door closed with a bit more vigor than was necessary. Radha said something to him as the car pulled out onto the street, but he didn't hear her. His thoughts were consumed by Liza. They had been every since they had sat down and the lights dimmed.

Zipping up her dress had almost been more sensuous, more intimate than when he had kissed her. Her skin had been warm to the touch, and he had felt her almost imperceptible shiver as his fingers had grazed the skin on her back. All he had wanted to do in that moment was turn her around and push her against the hallway wall and kiss her. He wanted his body pressed up against hers, wanted to feel every inch of her flawless body. He wanted to kiss her over and over again as his hands roamed over her. He knew, without a doubt, that Liza Miller would once again consume his dreams tonight. He'd almost gotten her out of his head, but here he was, back at square one.

Liza lay in bed next to Josh later that night, staring at the ceiling. The city lights cast a glow through the window, and her eyes fell on her discarded dress. She felt a little dirty and a lot ashamed as she glanced over at Josh's comatose form next to her. She couldn't deny that she had been thinking of Charles all night. She hadn't been able to get the vision of him out of her head all night. As she had made out with Josh in the back of the cab, as they had entered the apartment, pawing at each other. She had imagined that it was Charles she was going home with, Charles that was removing her dress and laying her down on the bed, covering his body with hers. She'd been a bit more aggressive with Josh than she usually was, but she blamed that on her frustrations. She didn't know if you could be in love with two people at the same time, but hey, there was a first time for everything.


	12. Chapter 12

Charles cleared his throat quietly, fidgeting in his seat. He couldn't seem to sit still; he thought if he did, he might explode. He could feel the sweat on the back of his neck, hell, he thought he could feel every nerve in his body. He loosened his tie, trying to relieve some of the pressure that he felt building inside of him. His eyes flickered back up to Liza, trying to tune out the words she was saying.

They had fallen back into a comfortable place with each other over the past few weeks. They had bonded over the struggles with Bryce, over the Edward LL Moore clusterfuck that had them all sitting together in this room, listening to Liza speak.

"I lay on the bed, quivering, my hands lingering over my panties. I could feel my woman pulse throbbing through the lace…."

He tried to tune her out again. Her voice was causing parts of his body to throb too. Her voice was soft and sweet and sexy. She could be reading an encyclopedia and he thought he would be mesmerized. He could feel his blood rushing to the southern regions of his body. Listening to her talk like this was igniting a primiative, primal lust in him that was proving difficult to gain control of.

He shifted in his seat, crossing his legs. He had Diana to one side, Radha to the other. A glance out of the corner of his eye showed a visibly annoyed Radha. Her arms were crossed, her lips pursed. He could tell that she didn't like Liza. He thought he was doing a pretty good job at hiding his feelings for Liza, but maybe not. Or maybe she was just pissed because she had lost out on the opportunity to rub elbows with Gwenyth Paltrow.

"And as I slid my fingers inside…towards the place no man could ever fully penetrate, I felt my flower begin to blossom…"

He smiled slightly as he saw Liza's face redden from a distance. She was modest but brazen, and it was sexy as fuck. The words she were ready were ridiculous, but she made them sound like poetry. He wished they were alone in the room, in any room. His mind was clouded with visions of them, limbs intertwined, lying naked in bed, bringing these words to life.

Liza disappeared from the room the instant she read the last words on the page. That had been the most humiliating thing she had ever done for work. She wasn't a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but that had been nearly pornographic. She had only lifted her eyes from the page a few times, first meeting Kelsey's amused grin, then catching Charles's eyes. He had been staring right at her, boring a hole through her. He had no idea the affect he had on her.

She slipped out a side door, onto a covered patio, letting the cool area bring her body temperature back within normal limits. She needed a drink, or something to soothe her nerves.

"I thought I might find you out here."

Liza gasped as she heard the deep male voice behind her – she hadn't even heard the door open. Charles leaned against the doorframe, holding two glasses of scotch. "I thought you might need a drink."

She nodded, feeling herself flush again. Why did he have to be here tonight? It was bad enough that she had gotten stuck reading those pages to a crowd of strangers, it was worse that Charles had been witness to it. They were just settling into a new, comfortable normal. They were both with other people and had been inching slowly towards friendship. Of course, it hadn't been visions of Josh that had been flying through her head while she read, it had been Charles.

"Thanks," She accepted the drink from him, immediately taking a swig. "That was, uhh, embarrassing." She turned away from him, slowly pacing around the edge of the patio. She needed to put some distance and some furniture between herself and Charles.

"You handled yourself well. Not a lot of people would have had the courage to get up there and do that. And you saved us from having to deal with the fallout from the revelation that Aubrey Alexis is, in fact, a sleazy old man. Not the kind of press we need right now."

"Agreed. I still can't believe it." She shuddered and stuck her tounge out in disgust, eliciting a laugh from Charles. She watched as he wandered through the maze of patio furniture towards her. He settled onto the stone wall next to her, his arm brushing up against hers.

"How are the girls doing?" Liza asked, needing to redirect the conversation.

"Good. Really good, actually. They've been pestering me to have you come over and hang out with them. They talk about you nonstop." He secretly loved that the girls adored Liza. Radha, not so much. He had invited her over for dinner a few times with the girls, and they had yet to warm up to each other.

"I'd love to come see them. I can babysit anytime, Charles."

He swallowed the last of his drink and sighed. "Maybe you could come over and not babysit. Come over for dinner one night. Friends have each other over for dinner, right?"

"What about Radha?" Liza asked quietly. He couldn't be asking her on a date. He was with someone else and was too much of a gentleman to cross that line. Plus, his kids would be there. Get your head out of the gutter, Liza, she told herself.

"What about her?" Charles answered, his voice husky. He leaned in closer to Liza, tilting his head down. "Just say yes, Liza, please." The last part came out pleading, but he needed her to know how much he meant it.

"There you are, Charles! I was wondering where you got off to. Ahhh, Liza, you again. Hello." Radha stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, her eyes accusing. "What are you two doing out here all alone?"

Charles coughed and stood up straighter, moving a few inches away from Liza. "Just getting some fresh air."

"Well, I'm ready to go." She pushed the door open and leaned against it, indicating for Charles to join her. He raked his fingers through his hair, frustrated.

"Goodnight, Liza. I'll see you at work."

"Goodnight, Charles. Thanks for the drink." She smiled weakly, finishing off her drink. She met Radha's eyes over the brim of the glass, rolling her eyes as the door closed, leaving her once again alone.

"Can you drive a little faster, please?" Charles leaned back against the seat of the SUV, sighing and tapping his fingers impatiently on the seat next to him. His worry for Liza was all consuming. All he knew was that she had been in some sort of accident running an errand for Diana and was in the hospital. He had tried calling Diana, but her phone had gone right to voicemail. He was thankful that she had informed the legal team at Empirical, otherwise he wouldn't have known until work the next day, and that would have bothered him deeply.

He was still slightly incredulous that Radha had given him that ridiculous ultimatum in the middle of the street. What was he supposed to do? Pick a dinner with her pretentious friends over checking in on an injured employee, an injured friend? He'd pick Liza time and again. And apparently she knew that. Charles knew he should be more upset about them splitting up, but the feelings for her weren't there. The only thing that mattered right now was Liza. He needed to see for himself that she was alright.

"You can let me off here." He directed his driver to pull over in the hospital parking lot when he spotted Diana exiting the hospital lobby. He barely waited for the car to stop before he was springing out of it.

"Diana! Is she alright?" He didn't bother to mask the urgency in his voice, and Diana furrowed her brow as she took in his haggard expression.

"Yes, yes, she's fine. The doctor's aren't sure if her collarbone is broken or if it's something minor. But she's alright." She paused, a guilty look on her face. "She's in a lot of pain. They haven't given her anything for it yet. I feel terrible, Charles. She was running an errand for me. A personal errand."

"What even happened?" He could feel his heartbeat start to slow down. At least he had confirmation that she was stable.

"She was picking up my metro bike, riding it back to the docking station. Apparently some construction worker cat called her and she hit a car that stopped short. Flew over the handlebars, hit the car, then the ground." Diana shuddered, closing her eyes briefly.

"Jesus Christ." Charles raked his hand through his hair.

"Her roommate is up there with her. You didn't have to come out here, Charles. She's taken care of."

"I know, but I did. We're a family, Diana. I'd do the same for you, for Kelsey. I'm gonna head up. Thanks for the update."

He bid her goodbye and jogged into the lobby of the hospital, pausing at reception to ask for her room number. He was thankful for their generous visitor policy. He knew he if he wasn't able to see her that he probably would have paced the lobby all night. He glanced over at the gift shop and on a whim decided to pick up a bouquet of flowers for her. He selected a colorful wilflower bouquet and had the clerk put them in a vase and tie a ribbon around it. It was overkill, but he didn't give a damn.

Liza lolled her head against the pillow, feeling the effects of the morphine starting to kick in. The doctor had finally stopped back, confirming that her clavicle was fractured and setting her up with a morphine drip.

"Maaaaaggggggs" She giggled as she tried to get Maggie's attention.

"You're really starting to feel that stuff, aren't you?" She felt Maggie lean over her and smooth her hair. She really was the best friend. "What's up?"

"Where's Josh?" She felt like she knew the answer to her question, but she couldn't remember.

"He got stuck at the shop. He'll be here as soon as he can."

"Mmmmmhmmmm. Can you get me another pillow?"

"Of course. I'll go ask a nurse. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

Liza leaned back against her pillow and sighed, feeling the pleasant warmth of the pain meds oozing through her system. She could feel herself slowly drifting off to sleep, but somewhere in the depth of her mind she heard the door open and a deep voice that definitely did not belong to Maggie. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, bringing into focus a tall man in a black suit. James Bond. No, not him. Charles. Charles Brooks. Handsome, sexy, intelligent, kind, and holding a giant bouquet of flowers.

"Heeeeyyyyyyyyy." She drawled, a silly smile taking over her face. She wasn't sure why she was so happy to see him, but she was.

"Hi," He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him and setting the flowers off to the side. "Are you okay, is it your arm?"

Why did he look so worried? She was fine. F.I.N.E. He looked so sad, like a lost puppy. She wanted to hug him.

"Are you in pain?" He sat down in the chair beside her, leaning in close. Liza blinked away tears. He was so nice. And he smelled so good.

She patted the bed next to her and he shifted so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his body touching her legs. She wiggled her fingers, reaching out to take his hand.

"I'm okay." She mustered the energy to try to string a few sentences together. "Broken clavicle. I'll be good as new tomorrow."

"No. You're taking a few days off. Boss's orders." He reached up with his free hand to brush a strand of hair out of her face.

"If you insist. Thank you for the flowers, Charles." They really were beautiful. Like a rainbow.

He wanted to crawl into the bed with her, to cradle her and kiss away her pain. But that wasn't his job, though he noticed that her boyfriend was no where to be found. "I should let you rest." He trailed a finger down her face, brushing her cheek with his thumb.

"No, wait. Wait!" She yawned and shifted so she was sitting up. "I want to tell you something." She squeezed his hand lightly. "I just wanted to say…" She yawned again, feeling a surge of drowsiness. "That thing that happened between us meant something to me." She felt her eyes start to flutter and her hand slipped away from Charles. "Maybe, if we were different people, or in a different place, and like, a different time, things would be different."

Charles sat there speechless, watching as Liza dozed off, not even giving him time to respond. He wasn't sure if it was the drugs speaking or if that's how she really felt, but he felt his heart swell, felt a warmth spread through his body that had been absent for weeks. Maybe there was hope for them after all.


	13. Chapter 13

Liza stepped out of the bathroom of her hotel room, fidgeting with the barely there material of her bikini, silently cursing Maggie for switching out her swimsuits. She'd never been comfortable in a bikini, always preferring to don a one piece and a cover up. At least the last bikini she had worn had been fur, and she'd had a heavy fur cape to cover herself up. Today, not so much. She twisted around, trying to glance at her reflection in the full length mirror. She had to admit, she looked pretty good. Satisfied, she wrapped a sarong around her waist and grabbed her beach bag, ready for some R & R with Kelsey.

She locked the door and turned, running into something solid.

"Ooof." Looking up she saw Charles smiling down at her, a bemused expression on his face. He reached out to steady her, and she felt the now familiar jolt of energy she experienced every time he touched her.

"Hello, neighbor. You better watch where you're going. Your track record lately hasn't been the greatest."

She smiled up at him, blushing slightly. He had been acting a little different towards her ever since her accident. She remembered him coming to the hospital, bringing her flowers, but couldn't really remember anything else. She'd brought those flowers home with her, saving every last bloom until they withered away. She'd even pressed some of the blossoms into her books, hoping to preserve them.

She'd heard that he'd broken up with Radha, and had noticed he seemed to have a renewed spring in his step. Cracking jokes in the staff meetings, ordering lunch for the interns, had even brought Liza coffee from her favorite shop down the street the day she returned to work. He'd stopped being so standoffish with her, and was even a little flirty. Yes, she was still with Josh, but she had to admit that she thought that that relationship was coming to an end. He kept bringing up marriage and babies, and that was just not something she wanted. With Josh at least. So she let Charles flirt, and maybe she flirted right back.

She took in his outfit, the shorts and sneakers. She'd never seen him so laid back. "Look who has knees." She teased, tossing her hair over her shoulder, satisfied to see him redden.

"Yeah, umm, golfing. You going to the beach?"

Liza nodded, twirling around in her loose sarong. "Oh, yeah. What gave it away?" She smiled again as she caught him glancing over her body.

"Ah, well, enjoy yourself. I'll see you later." He started to brush past her, but paused. "Liza?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you, uh, maybe, want to, uh, get a drink later?"

"I'd love to. 8:00?" She couldn't help but smile when he grinned at her response.

"There's a little dive bar just down the street. We can walk there."

Impulsively, she turned quickly and stood on her toes, leaning in towards him. "I can't wait." She whispered breathlessly into his ear before turning and walking away, leaving him standing speechless in the hallway.

A few minutes before 8:00, Liza once again stood in front of the mirror in her room, staring back at her reflection. She wasn't sure if this was a date or just drinks as friends, so she had selected a blue and black patterned mini skirt and a black t shirt with black sandals. Flirty and fun but not too sexy or revealing. She felt a shiver of excitement course through her body as she heard a gentle knock on the door. She wasn't entirely sure where this night was headed, but she couldn't wait to find out.

Charles tapped his foot anxiously as he knocked on Liza's door and took a step back, rocking back and forth on his heels. The door swung open and his breath caught in his throat. Liza smiled up at him, a soft smile on her lips and in her eyes. Her hair was down, loose and wavy, and he wanted to bury his head in it, run his hands through it. She wore a black shirt that gave him a glimpse of her cleavage, of a lacy black bra that teased and tantalized him. Her long legs were on full display in a tight miniskirt and amplified by strappy black wedges. He wanted to run his hands all over her body and tonight he made no qualms about letting his eyes wander slowly over her body.

Liza blushed as she closed the door behind her.

"You look stunning, Liza." He held out an arm to her and she slipped her slender forearm through, hooking him at his elbow. He loved the feel of her on his arm.

"You clean up pretty good too, there, Mr. Brooks." She glanced over at his casual ensemble. A black t shirt, which showed off his surprisingly defined biceps and dark wash jeans. His hair was still slightly damp on the back of his neck from a shower, and Liza had to stop herself from reaching up and running a hand through it. Casual Charles was hot. "So, where are we going?" They stepped out of the hotel and onto the bustling sidewalk, Liza letting Charles lead the way.

"It's called the Backstreet Tavern. Total hole in the wall kind of place, but they have great drinks and…" He paused, a slightly wicked grin crossing his face, "On Friday nights they do karaoke."

"You must plan on getting me very drunk if you have any intention of getting me up in front of a karaoke machine."

Charles chuckled and pulled her a little closer to him as a large group of college kids brushed past. "Of course not! It doesn't look like much, but it's a fun spot. There's a nice private patio out back too. I clocked a lot of hours there when I was younger."

"Did you spend a lot of time here?" They turned off of the busier street onto a slightly quieter one, and Charles smoothly transitioned to taking her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. She loved how strong and warm his hand was – it made her feel secure, feel safe.

"Oh yeah. My parents had a house here my entire childhood. They sold it a few years before my Dad got sick, when Empirical was going through a bit of a rough patch. I spent every summer here, until I was in college. It's my home away from home. That, and the house at Pound Ridge. This place just feels like home. Ahh, here we are."

Liza looked up at the building that Charles had stopped in front of. Chipped paint on the siding, cracks in the sidewalk. If she looked up dive bar in the dictionary, a picture of this place would be next to the description. But it was clearly packed. People lingered outside and when the door opened, she could see a crowded room.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover, right?"

He grinned down at her, in awe of how she was game for anything. He never would have brought Pauline to a place like this, or Radha. But Liza, she was up for anything.

"Right." He squeezed her hand and led them inside, edging around the crowd towards the bar. It was surprisingly spacious inside, despite the crowd. She glanced around as Charles stepped up to order them drinks. Twinkle lights were strung criss cross the ceiling, Tables littered the room, and a crowd had formed around an elevated stage, where Liza could see a redheaded girl trying to belt out 'Jolene'. It was painful, and she had to stifle a giggle. A few people moved away from a bar top table and she snagged it, hopping up onto one of the stools and waving Charles over when he turned.

"I like it here." She declared proudly, accepting the glass of whiskey Charles set in front of her. A look of relief washed over his face, warming Liza's heart. Yes, he was a confident, intelligent businessman, but he was also a little shy, a little vulnerable, and he wasn't afraid to show that side of himself to her.

"I thought you would. I'm glad you do." He sipped on the whiskey, letting it course warmly through his body, emboldening him. "I've been wanting a few minutes alone…."

"Liza! Charles! What are you doing here?" They both visibly jumped when Kelsey stumbled into view, her drink sloshing over the rim of the glass and onto the floor. She eyed them suspiciously, taking in the close proximity of their bodies and Charles shifted slightly in his seat, putting a few inches between them.

"Ahh, I ran into Liza outside the hotel on my way here, invited her for a drink." He smoothly improvised. Luckily Kelsey was too tipsy to think any more of it.

"Well, get your asses over to our table. Diana's here too. I found her drinking alone in the hotel bar and dragged her here. C'mon!" She tugged at Liza's arm, sloshing more of her drink onto the floor. Liza sighed, rolling her eyes at Charles as she stood.

"I'm sorry about this." She whispered as they weaved through the crowd, Kelsey leading them to a table by the karaoke machine. Charles smiled and shook his head. The odds were not in his favor tonight. Something that he was starting to get used to; at this rate he would be retired before he could get Liza out on a proper date.

"The gang's all here!" Kelsey almost yelled as they sat down by Diana, who was nursing a vodka tonic and looking like she wanted to be anywhere else. She perked up as soon as she saw Charles, however, sitting up a little straighter.

"I certainly didn't expect to see you here, Charles."

He smiled and nodded as he slipped into a chair beside Liza, his fingers grazing her thigh under the table as he shifted his chair slightly. Liza felt her body tingle as she felt the gesture and exchanged a knowing smile with him.

"Liza, Liza, you need to do a song with me! Pretty please!" Kelsey grabbed Liza's forearm, sinking her nails into her skin.

"Absolutely not."

"Pretty, pretty, pretty please! I'm begging you here!"

Liza sighed and tried to tug her arm away. "Oh my god, fine. Anything to get you to let go of my arm." Kelsey squealed and got up to put them on the list while Diana regaled them of her photo shoot disaster from earlier in the afternoon. Liza smiled when Charles turned slightly pink as Diana described crouching naked behind some driftwood. He was so modest sometimes, it was simply adorable. Kelsey returned with fresh drinks for everyone and a round of tequila shots. Liza thought Kelsey might want to switch to water if she had any hope of walking home, but she held her tongue.

"I signed you two up for a song, too." Kelsey waggled her finger at Liza and Charles as she picked up her shot and knocked it back.

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did. No takesy backseys either." She hiccupped and giggled. Liza exchanged a look with Charles and laughed as he downed his tequila shot, then reached across the table and took Diana's from her and downed that one as well.

The room filled as they waited their turns, and they were joined at their table by Redmond and another book agent that Diana knew. Chairs shuffled and they squeezed closer together. Charles decided to take advantage of the tight space, his hand disappearing underneath the table, tracing circles on Liza's exposed skin. He loved watching her reaction to his touch, his heart beating faster when she glanced at him with darkened eyes. The moment was interrupted, of course, by Kelsey dragging Liza up to the stage, where they clicked through the screen on the machine, looking for a song.

Charles watched with amused eyes as Liza wrapped her arm around Kelsey's shoulder, holding her up, as they began to belt out the opening lyrics to "Anything Goes", a song he recognized from a Broadway show he had taken Pauline to. Thoroughly Modern Millie, he thought. Liza had a great voice and great stage presence, much more at ease in a dark crowded bar singing show tunes than she was at that reading a few weeks ago. Kelsey had a good voice too, but she stumbled through some of the lyrics. He did not want to get up there and sing. He hadn't been to a karaoke bar since college. But when the song was over and Liza gestured for him to join her he stood, downed the rest of his drink, and weaved through the tables towards her.

"Kelsey's going to pay for this. I don't know how yet, but we've got to come up with something good." He whispered in her ear as she handed him a microphone.

"It's more fun than it looks. Here." She pointed at a song on the screen, watching as he arched his eyebrows at her.

"You sure?"

Liza looked up at him with both eyes, unblinking. "Absolutely. It's just a song, Charles." She hit the button and nudged him playfully in the shoulder as the first notes of The Human League's "Don't You Want Me" piped through the speakers. It was a classic 80s song, one that Liza loved.

She bopped her head and swayed as he started to sing out the first few verses. His deep voice sounded a little weird singing, and she giggled. He had a steady voice, though, and it cleared as he glanced back at Liza and put his arm around her shoulders as she joined in. Charles grinned down at her, marveling at how into the music she was getting. He loved how she was totally game for anything, and how she made him feel so independent, so free. Pauline could never have convinced him to get up in a bar and sing bad 80s music. But Pauline would never have stepped foot into a place like this. He felt Liza wrap her arm loosely around his waist as they belted out the last verses, laughing as she pulled them into a bow. Kelsey and Redmond jumped up, clapping and catcalling them.

"That was quite a show, you two." Redmond grinned at them as they took their seats back at the table. He arched an eyebrow at them. Maybe everyone else was clueless, but he could pick up on the chemistry between the two tall folk. Liza's blush gave it away.

"Another round?" Kelsey got up and wobbled, bumping into a chair and tipping over slightly. Liza jumped up to prevent her from falling.

"Maybe you should call it a night, Kels. You've had a lot to drink." She hooked an arm under her to hold her up.

"Nooooo. Lizaaaaaaah." She wobbled again, leaning forward and spilling what was left of her drink on Diana.

"That's my cue!" Diana said, annoyed, brushing ice of her shoulder and standing. "This is why I don't do dive bars. Or karaoke. Good night, all." She stalked out, and Redmond and his friend shrugged and headed to the bar, leaving Liza standing there with Charles and Kelsey awkwardly leaning on her.

"I should get her back to the room while she's still vertical. At least for now." She shifted Kelsey's weight, wrapping her other arm around her.

"I'll walk back to the hotel with you." He tossed a few bills onto the table for the last of their drinks and cleared a path to the door, Liza shuffling with Kelsey, who was muttering something indistinguishable under her breath.

The night air was cool and Liza immediately felt her head clear. Kelsey perked up a little bite, but Liza still kept an arm wrapped around her. The last thing she needed was Kelsey faceplanting and having a black eye at their Millennial party tomorrow. Charles joined her on her other side, his arm casually brushing against hers.

"I'm sorry about tonight, Charles." Liza whispered quietly. She had so been looking forward to spending some time alone with him, and this was not how she had planned to end the night.

"It's quite alright, Liza. I had fun, regardless." He smiled down at her and squeezed her hand quickly before letting it go. Kelsey hiccupped and stood a little straighter. "What are you two whispering about over there?" She hip checked Liza, sending her crashing into Charles, who wrapped his arm around her to keep all three of them from crashing over.

"Why don't you just try to focus on walking in a straight line, Kelsey. We're almost back to the hotel." Liza sighed again as Kelsey hiccupped and nodded.

"Y'all are so nice. Like the nicest people ever." Kelsey pulled away and turned around, walking backwards, giggling.

"You're insane. And drunk. So, so drunk." Liza laughed, glancing up at Charles. He smiled back at her, his eyes twinkling.

"You know what I think, Liza?"

"What do you think, Kelsey?"

"I think you and Joshie need to get married and start having babies. You two would have the prettiest babies."

Liza groaned inwardly, the smile disappearing from her face. She didn't want to think about Josh. She glanced up at Charles again, and saw that his expression was now solemn.

"I don't think so, Kelsey."

"Whhhyyyyy not?" She whined, as they stepped into the hotel.

"Because, I don't want to. That's why. I'm not going to marry Josh, and I'm definitely not having kids with him. Now just sit here, okay?" She pushed Kelsey onto the bench outside their hotel room as she fished for her key card. Locating it, she stepped away from Kelsey and walked to Charles, who was unlocking his room. She leaned against the door frame, glancing back at Kelsey, who seemed to have passed out.

"I'm so sorry, again, Charles."

"Don't worry about it." He responded quickly, his voice a little cool. Why the hell had she agreed to go out with him if she was still with her boyfriend?

"I meant what I said about Josh. I mean, it's not officially over, but I'm breaking up with him." She felt a sense of calm come over her as she said it, like the path had just revealed itself to her. She loved Josh, but she saw no future with him. And while she wasn't sure what a future with Charles would be, she wanted to explore it. Being with Josh was wasting time for both of them.

"It's alright, Liza. Listen, I think you're fantastic. I just think you have some things to figure out. Good night, Liza." He smiled at her, closing the door. She sighed and turned to Kelsey. God, she'd made a mess of everything.

"I like you."

The words spilled out of Charles' mouth before he could even think – he just couldn't help himself. He didn't care if she was still dating someone else. He knew he couldn't wait any longer to put his feelings out there. In this moment, with Liza swaying to the music, he couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy.

She didn't say anything for a moment, and Charles' heart sank. He glanced down at the floor as they swayed to the melodic notes of "Take My Breath Away", closing his eyes for a moment, and in that moment, she leaned in and kissed him, her hands sliding their way up to his biceps, tugging on his shirt to pull him closer.

She leaned back slightly, even as her arms came up to rest on his upper arms. She felt tight muscles through the fabric of his shirt, and her fingers tugged lightly at the fabric, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt. She felt the hand that had been resting on her hip as they danced pull her closer to him, as the other came up and wrapped around her neck.

They parted for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. Everything that she was feeling in that moment, everything she was experiencing made her feel a little heady, almost faint. The blue lights of the club cast a glow over everything, and Liza thought that they made Charles's eyes look even bluer. The way that Charles was ever so gently pulling her flush against him as they continued to sway to the music. She felt his hand, warm and soft, on her neck, and leaned in to kiss him again.

The world around them dissipated as they embraced, and they lost themselves in each other for another minute or so. Moments later the song came to an end and they were jostled apart by the crowd. Charles reached out to catch Liza as a woman pushed past her and Liza tripped in her heels. She giggled and he smiled at her. Could she be any more beautiful?

Charles leaned in close to Liza, huskily whispering in her ear "Do you want to get out of here?". He wanted nothing more than to be alone with her right now, but he also knew that he needed her to know he wasn't going to pressure her into anything she didn't want to do. That nagging voice in the back of his head was still reminding him that she was still 26, still an employee at his company, and still with someone else.

Liza tossed her chestnut locks over her shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "More than anything". Charles felt his pulse racing as he saw her eyes darken ever so slightly. He took her hand in his and led her out of the club, onto the still bustling street. They paused to look at each other for the briefest moment, and then began to walk hand in hand back to their hotel.

Charles didn't let go of Liza's hand the entire, thankfully short, walk back to the hotel. Neither said anything on the walk, both afraid that they would say something that would bring them back to reality and ruin the moment. Instead, Liza entwined her fingers with Charles' and squeezed his fingers gently, almost as if she was trying to reassure him that this is what she wanted. She knew he was conflicted, knew that he felt guilty that she was still dating someone else, even though time of death on that relationship was quickly approaching. Meanwhile, her mind was racing. She knew she needed to tell him the truth. That she shouldn't cross that line with him until he knew the real Liza Miller. She didn't want to mislead him, anymore that she already had.

Would he still want her when he found out that she was 40, divorced, and a mother to a 19-year-old college student? Would he want to be with her, despite the lie? Or was he attracted to the 26-year-old Liza, the assistant, the millennial? These questions had been consuming her for weeks, and she needed to know the answer.

Charles could almost feel her thinking as they rounded the corner to their hallway. Their rooms were next door to each other. Diana was thankfully checked into a hotel down the street, and he was sure Kelsey, who was rooming with Liza, was still out partying with her new boyfriend, Colin. Apparently she had recovered just fine from the night before. Charles could feel his heart beating and could feel his blood pumping to the southern regions of his body. He wanted this, wanted her, so badly. How many times his mind had wandered over the past months to being with Liza. He had had far too many cold showers in the past few months than he cared to ever admit to anyone. His mind had often wandered into daydreams of her waking up next to him at the brownstone, making breakfast with the girls, taking them to the park. He had imagined a whole life for them. He loved her; he couldn't deny it. But would she want a life with a man almost 20 years her senior?

They paused outside Liza's room. As Liza fiddled with her room key, she turned to Charles, smiling. God, he thought, she was so beautiful. She just radiated joy.

"So," she said, "That was unexpected."

Charles cleared his throat. "Yeah, yeah, I didn't know that Berlin was still together."

Liza laughed as she turned slightly to open the door to her room. She turned to face him, bracing for what she knew was going to come next. "Yeah, it must have been a one night only kind of thing."

She turned to face him in the doorway. She didn't thing she could ever get over how handsome he was. So tall, so imposing, but he had this shy, boyish charm to him that endeared him to her so much. She would never have thought that a man as incredible and important as him would ever be attracted to her.

"Oh," he said, rocking back and forth on his heels, "I sure hope not." He leaned forward, his eyes sliding down her body, those long legs, and back up again. Stepping forward, he leaned down and took her lips in his. He couldn't get enough of her. She smelled faintly of coconut and vanilla, and as he felt her grab onto his suit jacket and pull him closer, he opened his mouth and deepened the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a deep embrace.

Liza was surprised by the ferociousness of Charles' kiss, but she let herself fall into it. She let one hand slip around him and over his back, into his hair, as her other hand slipped inside his suit jacket and against his shirt. She rested it on his abs, feeling how taught they felt under her. She had hardly ever seen him in anything other than one of his impeccable 3-piece suits, and she imagined that what lied underneath was also impeccable. As he shifted to pull her closer, she felt his arousal press up against her leg. Her blood was pumping so fast she could almost hear it. He pulled away from her lips and trailed kisses up her cheek to her ear and landed his mouth on her neck, planning kisses from the collar of her dress up her long, graceful neck.

Their bodies bumped the door open and she felt the door swing open behind them. Charles pulled away slightly, pulling her hair to one side of her neck. As he did so she felt him still, and his body pulled away from her just slightly.

"This feels so good," She whispered, "But I still haven't quite figure out things with my, with Josh." She needed to address the elephant in the room before things went any further.

Charles stepped back, removing his hands from her waist. "Hmm, yeah." He sighed, taking in the sight behind her. "It seems like you do have a few things to figure out." Shaking his head, he turned and walked to his room, slamming the door behind him a little too loudly.

Confused, Liza turned and stepped into the room, gasping at the sight before her. Not good. 


	14. Chapter 14

"I'm sure you know how fond I am of you. But I never meant to step between a happy couple. And I can assure you, I won't be stepping in again."

The words replayed on a loop through Liza's head as she lay on Maggie's bed, pretending to be asleep. Kelsey was sleeping in her room and had retired early after hearing Liza's confession. She wasn't sure if it was the right thing to have done, but there was no going back now. She had both needed and wanted to come clean to Kelsey for months now, and she had finally done it. She was ready for this lie to be over and done with.

"You were everything to me. But you're a liar. And a cheater. And whether you realize it or not, your lies are hurting everyone around you."

Charles morphed into Josh in her mind and she rolled over, punching the pillow underneath her and blinking back tears. She had no clue how she had managed to lose both Josh and Charles in a span of 24 hours. Neither of them wanted anything to do with her, and it was all her fault. She'd led them both on, and now they both saw her for what she really was. A liar, and a cheater. Well no more. She was telling everyone the truth, consequences be damned.

Charles watched through the glass window of the conference room as Kelsey pulled Liza out of the room and down the hall. If he wasn't mistaken, he had sensed some tension between the two of them. He watched Kelsey say something to Liza, an annoyed look on Liza's face as the latter appeared to blink away some tears. What the hell had happened since he had closed his hotel room door on Liza Saturday night?

He had sat up for several hours last night on his balcony, nursing his frustrations with a few glasses of whiskey. He felt immensely guilty over his behavior towards Liza the past two days. He'd unabashedly flirted, danced and kissed Liza while her boyfriend was planning a surprise proposal. They'd probably been kissing in that club while he laid those damn rose petals out on the bed. The bed Charles had been hoping to fall into with Liza that night.

He'd sat outside listening for any sign of what was happening in the room next door. He heard no voices, no squeals of joy, no bedsprings squeaking, thank god for that. He'd avoided facing her the next morning by checking out at the crack of dawn and heading to the city to pick his girls up from their friend's house, spending the rest of his afternoon chasing them around the park, trying to keep his mind off of a certain tall brunette.

But, he thought now, leaning back in his chair in the now empty conference room, it sounded like she and Josh were over. Which made sense, given the things she had said this weekend. No babies, no wedding. He wondered what she truly wanted. Did she want a serious relationship, just not with Josh? Or did she mean that she didn't want to be tied down, wanted something casual. Honestly, he'd take whatever he could get. He just needed to be patient.

Liza stepped out of the office building later that evening, breathing in the cool night air, heavy with the smells of the city. What a shit day, she thought, slipping on her light jacket. All she wanted was to go home to her bed and bury her head in a pillow. Maybe drink a glass of wine, commiserate with her best friend and go to bed early.

"Liza." A deep, warm voice called her name from behind her and she jumped. Charles stood a few steps back, watching her. "I certainly hope that broken engagement had nothing to do with me." He stepped forward as a crowd of people brushed past him.

Liza smiled, thankful that he didn't seem to be upset with her. Calm and collected, as always. "No, of course not. Like I said this weekend, when we got down to it, it wasn't what I wanted. And I'm really focused on work right now." He nodded at her, an understanding look in his eye. Now wasn't the time to talk about what had happened this weekend, and he seemed to respect that. "Good night, Charles."

"Uhh, L-Liza? Are you a Hemingway fan?" He blurted out, before he knew what he was doing. So much for taking it slow, he told himself. He had caught her off guard, and she looked at him curiously as she turned towards him.

"Well, I, uh, love 'The Sun Also Rises'. Not so much 'The Old Man and the Sea', but 'A Moveable Feast' was pretty much my bible in college. I still have dreams of moving to Paris."

He smiled at her answers. Of course she loved 'A Moveable Feast'. After all, it was one of his favorites. And god, would he love to whisk her away to Paris. Get away from the city, the people that seemed to keep getting in the way of them and just disappear, the two of them, to the most romantic city in the world.

"Would you like to join me for something? I think you might find this interesting." He couldn't help but break out into a stupid grin as she nodded and slipped her arm through his.

Later that night, Liza lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her spectacularly awful day had ended on a high note, and she couldn't seem to fall asleep. She couldn't believe that Charles owned all of that Hemingway material. What she wouldn't give to own even just a piece of that collection. It broke her heart that he had to put it up for sale. He'd filled her in on some of the details, how he needed the capital influx to keep Empirical afloat. Apparently, the company was limping along after Bryce pulled his investment, and they needed cash if they were going to keep the lights on. She smiled as she remembered his comment about how he was more interested in the future. She knew she wasn't ready for another relationship quite yet, and he seemed to know that. Victims of unsynchronized passion, wasn't that what he had said. Pretty much the perfect description for their relationship, or lack thereof. He had opened up to her tonight in a way he never had before, and it meant a lot to her.

Glancing over at the clock on her nightstand, she saw that it was quarter after 10. Still early, by most people's standards. She couldn't sit alone in her darkened bedroom and be consumed by the silence. Maggie was out for the night, and who knew when or if she would be back.

Grabbing her phone, she scrolled through her contacts, her finger hovering over the favorites section. Josh was still furious with her, not that she blamed him. She thought about calling Kelsey, but felt that that conversation would probably end in an argument. She didn't want to bother Caitlin and worry her daughter. Her eyes landed on Charles's name, and before she could stop herself, she hit dial.

One ring, two rings, three rings and he picked up, his voice a little husky.

"Liza, is everything alright?"

"Sorry, yes, everything is fine. I, uh," she stammered, falling back onto her pillow. "I'm not quite sure why I called you."

There was a momentary pause, and on the other end of the line Charles sat up a little straighter, having just climbed into a bed with a book. "Okay." He cleared his throat. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

"I just, I guess I wanted to thank you for tonight. I didn't say a proper goodbye, and I wanted to tell you that it meant a lot to me that you shared this evening with me."

Charles smiled, resting his head back on his pillow. If he couldn't have her here in person, maybe having her on the phone with him as he fell asleep was the next best thing. "It meant a lot to me that you were there. I know I said that I'm more interested in the future, but it was still difficult to part with some of those things."

"I can't even imagine. I mean, I guess I can a little bit. When my mom passed away, and I had to go in and clean out my parents house, the home I was raised in, well, that was incredibly difficult. And that was just, you know, stuff. Clothes and furniture, things like that."

His heart broke for her as he listened to her speak. He didn't realize that her parents had passed away. He suddenly felt incredibly sad for her. She didn't seem to have any family. He remembered her saying that she was an only child. To go through that, at her age, was incredibly difficult."

"I was 26 when my father died." He said quietly. "My mother passed away about 5 years ago, so at least she got to spend some time with the girls. But I know they would have agreed with my decision to sell their collection. They spend a lifetime collecting those items, and all they wanted was for them to be appreciated, admired. And they will be. I know they would have wanted me to invest in the company, in their true legacy."

Liza blinked back a few tears as she heard the sadness in his tone. "They would have been so proud of you, Charles. The way you are raising the girls, running Empirical. I know I never met them, but I know they would have been immensely proud of you, of the man you are."

God, he wanted to reach through the phone and pull her to him. Her words were like the finest scotch, coursing through him and warming his body from the inside out.

"Thank you, Liza. You know, they would have loved you. God, my Dad would have adored you. Your taste in literature, just the way your mind works. And my Mom, well, if she had seen the way you are with my girls, you would have been a star in her eyes. She always admired a woman who was passionate about both her career and her personal life. She would have loved you." Like I love you, he thought.

"I wish I had met them."

Charles closed his eyes for a moment. While he loved his girls, and wouldn't trade them for anything, he had a fleeting vision of meeting Liza as a younger man, maybe in college. What would his life have been like if he had fallen for her instead of Pauline, had married her, had children with her? Would they be running Empirical together? Or would she have ended up like Pauline, running away in the dark of night in an attempt to escape an apparently stifling life?

"Listen, Liza, I need to say something to you. I like you. I like talking to you, working with you, being around you. But I know you just got out of a serious relationship. And I know that sometimes that can fuck with your head. God knows it did when my wife left. But when I met you, you brought a light into my life that I never knew I needed. Getting to know you this past year or so, it's been one of the greatest joys of my life. A joy that I needed. Having you in my life makes everything I have to deal with just seem, easier. So, that being said, I just want you to know that I am happy to be in your life, in whatever capacity you'll have me."

Liza rested her head on her pillow, taking a deep breath. It was like this man knew exactly how she was feeling and knew exactly how to react. It was mind blowing. "Thank you so much, Charles. You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that."

"I think I might have a pretty good idea. Just remember what I said, Liza. I'm not going anywhere. When you're ready, I'm here. Good night, Liza."

"Good night, Charles." She disconnected the call and clutched her phone to her heart. Talking to him made everything better.

The next morning, Liza walked into work to see a small square package bound in brown paper sitting on her desk. She looked around, thankful that Diana wasn't in yet, and gently tore open the card that was sitting atop the package.

"_People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself."_

_L – For me, you are the spring. I couldn't bear to part with this one, and now I know its because it should belong to you. I think my father would have wanted you to have it, I certainly do. I'll always be here for you, C. _

Her heart skipped a beat as she pulled the brown paper off, gasping as she revealed a hardcover, first edition copy of 'A Moveable Feast'. Flipping open the cover, she almost dropped the book onto her desk when she saw the faded signature of Ernest Hemingway himself scrawled across the inside cover. She clutched the book to her chest, carefully, and turned to see Charles leaning against the frame of his office door, watching her, a subdued smile on his face. She mouthed a thank you to him, unable to keep herself from grinning like an idiot. Clearly, Charles Brooks was a man worth waiting for.


	15. Chapter 15

Liza stood on the sidewalk, watching Josh's retreating figure and feeling, for the first time in weeks, like there was some hope for them to still be friends. He was still hurt, she knew that, but at least he was speaking to her. He'd told Maggie about Montana's deception, and Liza had watched from across the street as he had dumped her in a spectacular fashion. He still cared. They had spent the better part of the last year and a half together, and she still loved him, even if they weren't together. Yes, he had his faults, but she did too, and at the heart of it he was a great guy. She just wanted him to have the life he deserved.

When he'd asked her why she kissed Charles, she had only told him part of the truth. She knew that she had subconsciously wanted to sabotage their relationship. She had known she needed to end it, but didn't know how. But the rest of her had wanted to kiss Charles because he, well, he was who she wanted to be with. She wasn't ready to jump into another relationship, but she knew in her heart that she was falling for Charles Brooks.

She and Charles had fallen back into a comfortable rhythm over the last couple of weeks, and she was so appreciative that he was respecting her request to take things slow. They'd taken to texting or calling each other later in the evening a few times a week, and Liza had grown to look forward to those phone calls or messages as she was curled up on the couch with Maggie or tucked into bed. They talked about everything, from work to his kids to friends to books. She revealed as much of herself to him as she could, manipulating her timeline and pretending that she didn't know exactly how he felt when he spoke to her of how lost and betrayed he had felt when his wife left him. She'd wanted to reach through the phone and wrap her arms around him and tell him that he deserved so much better. Wanted desperately to tell him her truth, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Other calls were surprisingly flirtatious, leaving her flushed and feeling warm when they finally called it a night.

So now, as she tucked herself into a cab and headed home, she pulled her phone out of her bag, opening it to the favorites section of her contacts. His name was just below Caitlin and Maggie, and she tapped it without hesitation. She needed to apologize for running out on him, and wanted to fill him in on the excitement of the evening.

The call went to voicemail and feeling mildly disappointed, she tossed the phone onto the seat beside her. Turning her head to the window, she watched as the taxi weaved through traffic, the city lights blurring as the car weaved through the East Village. Maybe it was time for her to have a conversation with Charles. It had been just over a month since their encounter in the Hamptons, since their almost night together. She knew she wanted to be with him; every time she saw him she couldn't help but let her eyes linger on his lips. Oh, she so wanted to kiss him, to feel his strong arms wrap around her like they did when they kissed in that bar. Maybe it was time to take the next step.

She just about jumped out of her skin when her phone vibrated loudly on the seat next to her, and she scrambled for it when she saw his name pop up on the screen.

"Charles! Hi." She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice casual, calm.

"Liza. Everything alright with your roommate?"

"Oh, yes. I mean there was a switchblade and some vandalism involved, but everything worked out okay. No bail money necessary."

Charles chuckled as he settled into the armchair in his bedroom, a glass of scotch in his hand. He loved talking to her like this, both of them alone, away from the office. It had become his favorite part of the day. If he couldn't have her there with him, this was the next best thing. "Your roommate sounds like quite the character."

Liza settled back into the seat, a smile spreading across her face. "Maggie is the best. She's really been there for me through some hard times."

"Maybe I'll get to meet her someday."

"I hope so." She paused for a moment, smiling at the prospect of Maggie and Charles meeting. Of course, she had told Maggie everything about her encounters with Charles, so there was a pretty high chance she would say something wildly inappropriate and thoroughly embarrass both of them. "I'm sorry I had to leave so quickly tonight. I was hoping we could have finished that drink. I feel like there is always something or someone interrupting us."

"That's because there usually is. You and I, we don't have the best timing."

"I can agree with that." She paused, listening to his steady breathing as the taxi turned onto the bridge. God, she wanted to be with him desperately. The chemistry between the two of them was undeniable and part of her just wanted to follow Maggie's suggestion to just rip off the band aid and jump his bones. Clear her system and move on. But she knew that this was more than just sexual chemistry. She and Charles had a real connection, and if they took it slow, did things the right way, she could see them together, long term. She could see them building a new life together, if they could muddle through the complications that surrounded their relationship. She didn't want to start a relationship that was based on a lie.

"You there?" He asked, his voice soft.

"Yeah, sorry, my mind just wandered off for a second. Oof." The taxi hit a bump, and her phone almost fell from her hand.

"Where are you?"

"In the back of a taxi in the middle of the Williamsburg Bridge. On my way home."

He took a sip of his drink, letting the heat of the liquid warm his body. Or maybe it was her voice that had that affect on him, or a heady combination of both. Liza was just as intoxicating to him as a sip of the finest scotch. Clearing his throat, he said quietly, "I wish we could have finished that drink tonight."

"I do to."

"So," he said, deciding to steer the conversation towards more work related topics, "What did you think of the professor today?"

"Well, I liked her. She was clearly the best."

"Which is a marginal statement, compared to the rest of the authors we met with."

It was Liza's turn to laugh, the sound warming Charles's body like the heat of a fire.

"Very true. And well I agree that, in reality, people don't always get their happy endings…"

"Sometimes it's nice to imagine they do. Happy endings give people something to hope for." He finished her sentence, matching her sentiments exactly.

"Which isn't the worst thing in the world."

"Something to think about."

"A happy ending definitely isn't the worst thing to hope for. Ahh, I'm home. I'll see you tomorrow, Charles. Good night."

"Good night, Liza."

Liza squirmed in her seat in the middle of the crowded restaurant, stuck between the man sitting across from her and the man standing next to the table, glancing over at her. She couldn't bear to bring herself to look Charles in the eye. She wanted to get up and tell him that this was not what it looked like, she wasn't on a date with Jay, his friend and apparently, his college roommate. Of course this guy, of all people, was the one who had found out about her. Sneaking a glance up at him, she could see the hurt on his face. God, why did this have to happen?

Charles felt like someone had just dropped a ton of bricks onto his chest. He was angry, and he was jealous, and there was nothing he could do about it. He could feel his temper flare as he returned to his dinner companion, Bill Merriman, sitting so that Liza and Jay, god damn, Jay, were in plain view. Why the hell was she having dinner with Jay? The guy was one of his best friends, but at the current moment all he wanted to do was punch him in the face. A completely unreasonable desire, given that Jay had no idea about his feelings towards Liza.

He knew he had made his feeling crystal clear to Liza. When she had said she wasn't ready to date, he had respected her wishes, had told her that he would be waiting for her when she was ready. He didn't care if it took her a week or a month or a year, he would wait for her. But here she was, clearly on a date with Jay god damn Malick. It was like a knife in his back. Was she not interested in him after all? Or was she afraid of what would happen at work? Clearly it wasn't the age difference; Jay was almost a year older than he was, and here she sat, laughing at his jokes, smiling at him, listening to his stories, maybe even going home with him. The thought made his stomach turn.

Liza only half listened to Jay throughout the rest of her dinner. She could feel Charles' eyes on her, boring a hole into her back. She hated that he was witnessing this. Knew that he would think that they were on a date. Which she wasn't. She could tell that Jay was interested in her, but he seemed like the kind of guy that would be willing to be friends if she asked. He was mildly attractive, kind and funny, but he was no Charles Brooks.

Liza ran out of his office as soon as she could, weaving through the crowd of her coworkers and out of the room, her heart hammering.

"I don't know why you're dating a 40 something guy in publishing who isn't me!"

She ripped open the door to the bathroom, sliding to the floor against the heavy wooden door. That was the first and only time she had ever seen him yell, ever truly lose his temper. She couldn't blame him. They had been dancing around the idea of them as a couple for weeks now, and if she was frustrated she knew he must be equally as maddened by the whole situation. The feelings that were bubbling just under the surface for the two of them were starting to boil over. It was time to clear the air, once and for all.

Charles sighed deeply as the last of his employees filed out of his office, leaving just that stupid cupcake and the trace of Diana's overpowering perfume. This was the worst birthday he could remember, including last year, just a few weeks after Pauline had disappeared. How things had changed. But this year, between losing his temper with Liza, losing Moore to Rivington, and the fact that the woman he was infatuated with was dating his best friend, well this year took the cake.

He hadn't meant to lose his temper with Liza. He hated that he had yelled at her. He was furious with her, but at the same time all he wanted to do was grab her and kiss her senseless. But when she'd stormed into his office, yelling at him about his treatment of Kelsey, well, he'd finally reached his breaking point. He just needed one damn thing in his life to go the way it was supposed to. Charles Brooks had always been a man in control of his environment, and suddenly he felt like he was spiraling out of control, with Liza at the center of the tornado.

An hour later he was still sitting at his desk, watching as his employees filed out for the day. He'd been glancing out every few minutes, hoping to see Liza, but there hadn't been a sighting of her since she had run out after his outburst. Maybe she had just gone home. Disappointed and tired, he decided to head out early, and began to pack up his belongings. He just wanted to go home, hug his girls, and forget about this shit show of a day.

"Charles?" Someone knocked quietly at the door, pushing it open.

"Liza." He said her name softly and stood up, straightening his tie. "I thought you'd gone home. I'm sorry…."

"I'm sorry, too, Charles. I didn't mean to come in and yell at you."

"It's just, I'm…." He stammered, running his hand through his hair and walking over to lean on the far side of his desk. "I don't know what I'm doing. What we're doing."

Liza shut the door and stepped towards him, keeping a chair between them. "What you saw the other night, Charles, it's not what you think. I wasn't on a date with Jay."

"Liza, you don't need to lie to me to make me feel better. I'm a grown man, I can handle my feelings."

"I'm not lying Charles. I met Jay at Bonfire, and we hit it off. As friends. We ran into each other earlier this week and we decided to have dinner. As friends. That's all you saw."

He searched her eyes with his, seeing nothing but truth reflected back in them, and relief washed over him. He closed his eyes briefly, letting out a shaky breath.

"I can't stand seeing you with anyone else, Liza." He reached out and took her hand, pulling her close to him, so that her body was nestled between his legs as he sat on the edge of his desk. He ran a hand slowly through her hair, letting his thumb caress the side of her face. "I don't want you to be with anyone else. I know that's not my right, but it's how I feel."

Liza glanced down, her eyelashes fluttering, before she glanced up at him. "I don't want to be with anyone else, Charles. There's only you." Charles moved his hands slowly to either side of her face, and she felt her body shiver as he leaned in, his lips inches from hers.

A loud vibrating noise startled them, and Liza jumped back like a spooked horse. Groaning, Charles turned to see his phone vibrating across his desk. It was the landline at his house.

"I'm sorry, Liza, aah." He turned to apologize to her, but she was gone.

Liza shot up straight in bed, ignoring the books tumbling off of the shelf behind her onto the floor. Her heart was hammering, her breathing heavy, her body warm. That dream had felt so real, she could almost feel his lips on hers, his hands slipping underneath her skirt.

Groaning, she rubbed her face vigorously with her hands, trying to shake the image out of her head. She couldn't deny that that wasn't the first time she had dreamed of herself with Charles, but that was definitely the hottest, most realistic dream that she had ever had. She couldn't help but think that if he was mind blowing in her dreams, the real thing had to be 10x better. 100x better. And she couldn't stop thinking about it. Get your mind out of the gutter, Liza, she told herself, flinging the sheets off of her.

Slipping out of bed, she padded across the room to head for the bathroom. A cool shower was in order.

Liza lifted up the stapler, rolling her eyes at herself as she watched the stack of papers dangle from the metal. Once, twice, three time she had slammed down her hand on the stupid thing, visions of Charles flooding her mind. Charles kissing her, trailing his lips down her neck. Charles smiling at her, his eyes dark, as she ripped his tie off. Charles pressing his whole, entirely hard body against her, his hands dipping under her shirt, hiking her leg up around his waist as he pressed her into the bookshelf. God, this needed to stop, or she was going to drive herself crazy.

She pulled out the half dozen unnecessary staples and squared her shoulders, heading in the direction of Charles' office. At the very least, she needed to show him this manuscript. Maybe that would improve his mood. As she stood outside his door, her hand poised to knock, it occurred to her that this moment was playing out exactly like her dream. She laughed, a little hysterical, and knocked.

"Come in."

Liza let herself into the thankfully dark apartment, tossing her keys and bag onto the bench and rubbing her hand over her eyes. What a freaking day. She'd walked out of here 12 hours ago, fully intending to have a serious conversation with Charles about their relationship. Now things were even more screwed up.

His wife was back. Of course she was. Liza was seriously pissed at this woman. Not only had she neglected to mention who she was, but she had put a serious damper on whatever was happening between she and Charles. Actually, she hated her for what she had put Charles through over the past two years. What kind of woman just walked out on her husband, her children?

The last few hours of her life were so bizarre, so surreal, she wasn't sure that they had actually happened. She had walked into Charles' office with every intention of sitting down and having a conversation. She wasn't sure if it was that damn cupcake, or the dream she had, or the amused way he looked at her when she started stammering, but she had decided to heed Maggie's advice and simply throw herself at him.

She may have only kissed him a handful of times, but she could clearly say that he was the best kisser she had ever encountered. Falling back onto her bed, she closed her eyes and revisited the moment. The way he had wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush to him. The way he had ripped his tie off, exposing a few inches of his chest to her. She had felt his muscular abdomen through his shirt, and had wanted to rip the material off of him. She hadn't expected him to move them to his desk, knocking half the contents onto the floor. She hadn't expected him to wedge himself between her legs and hike her skirt up around her waist. There was something about the way he had just taken over the moment that made her blood run hot. He was always so polite, so gentlemanly, that he had taken her by surprise when he leaned her over the desk, pressing his body against hers, his teeth nipping at her lips. If they ever got around to doing the actual deed, she had a feeling it would be the most mind-blowing experience of her life.

Her phone vibrated on the bedside table and she jumped up when she saw his name flash across the screen.

"Charles, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm, I'm sorry, Liza, for that very abrupt exit."

She sat up straighter, folding her legs underneath her. "There's no need to apologize."

"Thanks, but I read Pauline's chapters."

Liza sighed quietly. "It must be awful to have your life mischaracterized in that way. I can't believe she did this to you."

Charles leaned back on the leather sofa, swirling the contents of his glass. He felt a wave of affection towards Liza as he heard the anger, the annoyance towards Pauline in her voice. "Well, actually, some of it's pretty honest."

"Oh."

"Yeah, she makes some parallels to me and to our marriage, and…" He trailed off, running a hand over his face. "I'm just trying to figure out what to do next. I don't know what to do, Liza."

There was a pleading tone to his voice that broke Liza's heart. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. "Maybe you should call her."

"You know, I think I'd rather wait until I've read the whole book, if it's out there. But look, I will take care of this, and I'm very sorry that you got pulled into this, Liza." He hated that Pauline had acted so duplicitously, but he hated even more that Liza was now stuck in the middle of all of this. But he leaned back, smiling slightly to himself. "And by the way, I don't regret what happened tonight at all, just the way it got interrupted."

It had been a fleeting moment, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. The way her eyes had darkened and she had just latched onto him. He could still feel her, smell her, taste her lips on his. It had been an amazing moment, and he had every intention of making it happen again. And he hoped, with every fiber of his being, that it was what she wanted as well.

"I don't regret it either." He felt his heart soar as he heard her say those five words. His life and his business might be a colossal mess at the moment, but at least he and Liza were finally on the same page.

"I want to be with you, Liza. I know things are complicated, even more so now, but I need you to know that it's you. It's been you since the moment we met. I want to be with you. I want you."

Liza felt every nerve in her body stir as he spoke. God, could he be more perfect? She smiled to herself, laying her head back against the pillow. "Ditto." She said quietly, and she could almost hear him smile through the phone.

"Good night, Liza."

"Good night, Charles."

She hugged her phone to her chest, smiling. There were so many things in their lives that were complicated and messy, but finally, FINALLY, their relationship was headed in the right direction.


	16. Chapter 16

Liza turned off the light in the girl's room and stepped out into the quiet hallway, carefully closing the door until it latched. This house was eerily quiet, making it seem even bigger than it was and making Liza feel even lonelier. She climbed back down the steps, checking her phone for the umpteenth time. It was well past 11, and no message from Charles indicating he was on the way home.

In hindsight, she partially regretted suggesting he meet Pauline for dinner. Treacherous, lying Pauline. Why was she trying to repair the marriage of the man she was falling in love with? Because you're a master in self-sabotage, Liza, she thought to herself as she settled onto the couch in the lounge. She replayed Charles' speech to her as she settled her head against a throw pillow, covering herself with a blanket. He'd looked so handsome, dressed in all black, the top few buttons on his shirt undone, teasing her with those few inches of exposed skin. She'd wanted to lean in and kiss him when he spoke to her of her impact on his life, his words making her heart swell and her eyes fill with tears. But she'd pulled away. She was so frustrated with the push and pull of their relationship. Every time it got to a point where she thought they were making progress, like she had knocked down the walls around him, up they went again. She was just so tired of it all….

Charles climbed up the stairs to the second floor quietly. The house was quiet and cool, the A/C working a little too efficiently. Lonely and cold, he thought, as he pulled himself up the final step, a mirror of how he was feeling.

He looked around for Liza, spotting her fast asleep on the couch in the lounge, her head resting on a pillow and a blanket thrown over her. He set his keys down carefully and watched her for a moment, wanting desperately to just scoop her up in his arms and carry her upstairs to his bed. She looked so peaceful, her chest rising and falling steadily, her thick eyelashes brushing against her skin. Everything he wanted was right in front of him, yet he couldn't have it.

Liza stirred, shooting up when she saw Charles towering over her, a pained expression on his face that contrasted with the small smile on his lips.

"What time is it?" She yawned, swinging her feet onto the floor.

"It's late, I'm sorry." He took a step back from her, glancing down at his feet. "It got, well, there was just so much…." He trailed off as he watched her rise, distracted, running a hand through his hair. "Can we talk about it in the morning? I'm exhausted, and I'm sure you are too."

Liza stood, slipping her shoes on and straightening her skirt. "Umm, is everything okay?"

He glanced and her and looked down again. He wanted nothing more than to pour them a couple drinks and air out all his feelings, his frustrations. His desires. But he couldn't. "I called you a car. It's arriving now." He stepped to the side, and Liza got the impression he wanted to be alone.

"Oh, okay." She picked up her purse and slide it over her shoulder, stepping towards him. She paused as she passed him, inches from him and when she looked up at him, all she could see was the pain in his eyes. It broke her heart. Lifting a hand to his cheek she rubbed his face gently as he closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. She leaned in and up, kissing him so gently, so briefly, that Charles thought for a moment that he imagined it.

"Good night, Charles," she whispered, stepping back and disappearing down the stairs. He heard the heavy door close moments later and he was once again alone. Shedding his shoes and jacket he picked up the blanket she had tossed aside and took her spot on the couch. The cushion was still warm from the heat of her body and the blanket still smelled of her. He drew the blanket close to him, inhaling deeply and closing his eyes. If he couldn't have her here, maybe he could dream of her.

Liza followed Charles into his office, her green dress swishing quietly as she followed him into the room. She had been avoiding him as much as possible for the past few days since the night at the brownstone and especially after her lunch with Pauline. She wanted to edit this book, there was no doubt about it. It was a great novel, and it would be a big step in the direction of a career in editorial. Her heart had sunk as she had listened to Pauline wax poetic about her love for her husband and she'd also had to repress a twinge of annoyance. If she was as "mad about hit" as she claimed to be, leaving him for over a year seemed unfathomable. If he meant so much to her, why didn't she try harder to fix things instead of fleeing from them?

She closed the door behind her and sat down on the edge of the couch, Charles pacing back and forth across the office. She noticed he did that when he was nervous or unsure of what to say.

"I had lunch with Pauline yesterday," she started, her eyes flickering to his face quickly to gauge his reaction. "She's a lovely, intelligent woman."

"And we are separated." He said it quietly, but emphatically, fiddling with his tie. He needed Liza to know that Pauline was his past, not his future. He could almost read her mind. He knew, without a doubt, that she would take a step back if he even intimated that a reunification with Pauline was possible, and he needed to make sure that she knew that was not even an option he was considering.

"Yes," Liza paused, trying to phrase her words carefully, "But she wrote this book as a way to reconcile with you."

"Her book is not going to get us back together." Charles paced past the door and paused by the window, closing the blinds to hide them from view of the bullpen.

"You read the book, Charles. It's basically Eat, Pray, Win My Husband Back."

How she could possibly find humor in this situation blew his mind, but he couldn't help but smile. He came around the edge of the coffee table and sat down on the edge, directly in front of Liza. "Pauline has written a work of fiction." He reached out and took her hands in his, rubbing them gently. "My feelings for you are real."

"But she…."

"Wrote a book. I know," He lifted one hand to tilt her head up so that their eyes were even with each other. "Pauline may have made a mess of my life, but she is not going to make a mess of us."

"But…." Liza started to protest, but Charles cut her off with a searing kiss, reaching around with one hand to pull her closer to him, his fingers running through her hair. He groaned as he felt her hands slide up his arms, felt her open her mouth to welcome him.

"We can't do this here," Liza whispered breathlessly as she pulled away an inch, resting her forehead against his.

"I don't care," Charles said lowly, his voice tired. He leaned into her again, but Liza slid away from him, standing up from the couch and disappearing out the door before he could even say a word.

Liza watched as the final party rental truck pulled out of the driveway, her eyes following the red taillights of the truck until they faded into the distance. It was a beautiful night, just past 9, and the sun was faded quickly, casting dark shadows all across the lawn. The air was crisp and clear and cool here, a stark contrast from the city air she was accustomed to. It was clarifying. She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes, inhaling a deep breath. Her vision was immediately clouded with visions of the day: Josh throwing a punch at Charles and storming away, Charles kissing her, pleading her to stay the night, Kelsey coldly advising her to stay far, far away from Charles. It had been a blur of a day, and her nerves were a wreck. She opened her eyes again. Her car was the only one left in the driveway with the exception of Charles' Range Rover. She had seen Pauline leave an hour or so ago, her face awash with dejection. She knew she had been angling for an overnight invitation from Charles. He must be in the house somewhere, she thought. Maybe I can make a quick getaway. The house was mostly dark, the only light coming from the girl's bedroom on the second floor. They had showed her the room earlier as they had tugged her around the house. She saw a tall shadow cross the room, and knew Charles must be tucking them in.

She scanned the yard one more time, her eyes falling on the pool house just behind the house, where Charles had kissed her hours ago. The lights inside were on, and a pile of pool toys lay in the yard. Judging by the breeze, the toys would likely be scattered across the lawn by tomorrow morning. The least she could do was put them away, then be on her way.

She crossed the lawn quickly and quietly picked up the pool noodles and floats that were laying on the grass, heaving them over the fence surrounding the pool. She slipped the gate open and picked up the floats, setting them carefully into the pool shed. She did the same with the pool noodles, pausing to hang a couple damp towels on the fence. The water in the pool was lapping quietly and was crystal clear. Slipping a foot out of her sandal, she dipped her toe into the cool water.

Okay, she thought, maybe 5 minutes won't do any harm. Slipping off her other shoe she sat at the edge of the pool, dipping her feet into the cool water, wiggling her white painted toes in the water. She'd been on her feet all day, and this felt almost luxurious. She closed her eyes and sighed, rolling her head back and basking in the quiet moment to herself.

Charles paused in the door of the pool house, watching Liza. She sat at the edge of the pool, her back to him, her eyes closed, dipping her feet in the water. She'd let her hair down out of it's updo at some point and the loose waves cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her beauty was simplistic but intoxicating. He'd kept one eye on her all afternoon, even though she had kept a safe distance from him. He knew she felt guilty – caught between he and Pauline, a position ne never wanted her to be in. But she was insistent on being Pauline's editor. But Pauline wasn't here now – it was just the two of them. He'd come out here to close up the pool house after putting the girls to bed. He had assumed she had left but when he saw her moving across the yard, his heartbeat had picked up and he had moved quickly across the lawn.

"Hey," he said softly, stepping forward out of the doorway.

Liza jumped and turned her head, a timid smile playing across her lips.

"Hey," she said quietly, pulling her feet up out of the water. "I just came out to pick up the pool toys, and the water looked too good. I can head out now."

"Liza."

She continued to ramble on for a moment and Charles just stood there, smiling at her.

"Liza." He took a step forward, reaching out to intertwine his fingers with hers, catching the hand that was gesticulating as she rambled on about the party cleanup. "I meant what I said earlier. Don't go home tonight. Stay with me." He reached up with his free hand, gently pushing her hair away from her face so that he could see her chocolate brown eyes.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Charles," she said softly, biting her lip.

"I don't give a damn," he said brusquely, smirking down at her, his eyes crinkling. "It's what I want. You're all that I want, Liza."

Liza closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath, tossing her hair over her shoulders. She could feel that sensation in her stomach, the one that turned her into a puddle around him, made her knees weak.

"Liza," he repeated, his voice barely a whisper, but deep and husky. She lifted her eyes to him and saw that his blue eyes had turned dark. Saw the black and blue mark on his chin where Josh had sucker punched him. Lifting her hand, she traced a single finger over the darkened skin and felt Charles nuzzle his head into her hand.

"We can't, Charles," She whispered, agonizing over the situation. Oh, how she wanted him. Every nerve in her body was on fire, demanding that she give in to her overwhelming desire. Charles inched closer to her, his body only an inch from hers, his head hovering just above hers. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body. His free hand slid from her hair to her neck and down her arm, slowly tracing a finger across her skin.

He leaned in; his breath hot on her ear. "Tell me you don't want this just as much as I do, and I'll turn around and walk away, I swear to god. I promise." He paused, his lips inches from hers. She lifted her eyes to meet his, licking her lips instinctively.

"Kiss me," she whispered.

Charles leaned in, kissing her gently at first as his hand slide around her waist, pulling her flush against him. He heard her make a quiet noise of satisfaction that kicked his desire for her into high gear. His hands slide down her body and he hoisted her up, wrapping her legs around him as he carried her back into the living room of the pool house. Her hands snaked around his back, one sliding up through his hair, the other raking across his back. He walked backwards and they fall back onto the couch, a tangle of limbs.

They both laughed as they straightened themselves, Liza sitting atop his lap, straddling him. Charles ran his hands up her legs and under the skirt of her dress as Liza splayed her hands across his chest and smiled at him, her hair mussed, her eyes dark. He started to say something, but Liza closed her mouth over his, her desire for him suddenly insatiable. She wanted all of him. She pushed herself against him, chest to chest, one hand in his hair as she kissed him, her tongue dueling with his, nipping at him playfully as she ground her body against his. The movement elicited a primal groan from Charles, and he gripped her hips, his hands vice like on her skin.

They continued like this for a few minutes, teasing and tantalizing the other, eliciting sounds from each other that they had both only dreamed about before. It was Liza that pressed paused, placing a hand on Charles' chest as he tried to pull her back to him.

"Shhhh." She cocked her head towards the door and Charles heard it to. One of the girls was calling for Charles from somewhere in the vicinity of the house.

"Shit," he muttered, as Liza slide off his lap. "I'll be right back. Just stay here, okay?" He kissed her forehead as he buttoned up the shirt, she had just pulled open. He could still feel her mouth on his skin as she had antagonized him, slowly undoing each button and kissing the newly exposed skin.

He ran barefoot to the house to find Bianca standing in the kitchen. She was just thirsty, so he fixed her a glass of water and carried her back to bed, tucking her in. He loved his girls, but his attention tonight was on his other girl.

He sprinted back to the pool house and pushed open the door. The couch was empty, and a single piece of paper sat in the spot they had occupied only moments before. His heart sinking, he picked up the folded note.

_I'm sorry, Charles. I can't do this. It's too complicated. I want you; I want us. But we can't. Not now. I'm truly sorry. You mean so much to me. _


	17. Chapter 17

Charles leaned over the balcony railing, one hand clenched tightly on the metal, the other shakily holding a cigarette to his mouth. It was a vice long forgotten, but his stress and frustration over Pauline's return and the situation with Liza was at a fever pitch. He could feel the tension in every muscle of his body and the lack of sleep was catching up with him. He tossed and turned every night, usually opting to rise before dawn and take out his frustrations on the punching bag he kept in the basement. He hadn't smoked since Pauline had left. Since he had met Liza, he realized, ironically.

He hadn't wanted to come to this stupid party tonight, but Pauline had nagged and nagged at him. He was already regretting inviting her to spend more time at the house, but he thought it would be best for the girls, at least for now. They needed Pauline. Him, he thought, not so much. He despised most of the people lingering in the room behind him. Pretentious snobs, he thought, taking a drag and resting his hand on the railing. He had seen his friends Bob and Julia, and his college roommate, Jay. They were the only people there he was interested in spending any time with.

He wished Liza was here. Wished he could ask her to accompany him to these insipid parties as his date. They could stand in a corner and drink and laugh about the company they were keeping before leaving early to end the night together, just the two of them. His whole body ached with desire for her. Not just for her touch, but for her intimate presence in his life. He wanted to experience life with her by his side. He didn't care if she was almost 20 years his junior – she was the one he wanted to share his life with.

"Charles. Hi," A soft voice said behind him, and he heard heels crossing the stone floor of the balcony. It was almost as if he had wished her presence and summoned her. She stood just behind him, a vision in a pretty purple dress, her hair cascading down around her shoulders.

Liza had caught sight of Charles while speaking with Jay, her eyes and her mind focusing in on him like a laser. She hadn't spoken to him alone since the incident at Pound Ridge. She'd been ashamed of how she had left things, but she just couldn't go through with it, despite yearning to do so. She couldn't stand in the way of a family coming back together. She wouldn't.

"I didn't know you were coming," Charles said, caught off guard by her presence. He lowered the cigarette from his mouth, exhaling deeply. Liza caught sight of it, raising her eyebrows, and he suddenly felt ashamed, like a schoolboy caught with a dirty magazine.

"I didn't know you smoked," she retorted, a smile playing across her lips.

"Yeah, um," He put the cigarette out, tossing it into an ashtray on a nearby table. "Only when I'm stressed." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"It must be hard for you, working with Pauline every day, reliving the past," Liza stepped towards him, leaning against the railing a few inches away from him. He could smell her perfume, the floral scent of her shampoo mixing with the harsh scent of the discarded cigarette as she tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Charles nodded slightly, shifting closer to her. "The hardest part is," he shook his head, "Is I can't get you out of my head, Liza." He lifted his head to look right at her, trying to convey all his feelings for her in that single gaze. It was the truth; she was all consuming, occupying his thoughts in every meeting, every blow to the punching bag, every time he tried to close his eyes to sleep or rest, if even for just a moment. She was all he could think about.

Liza licked her lips nervously and looked down at her feet. Her heels were pinching her toes, but the only pain that she could feel was in her heart when Charles gazed at her with that intense, longing look on his face.

"In order for me to do my job, I've had to, um, build a relationship with Pauline and," Liza exhaled nervously, shaking her head. "The truth is, Charles, I like her. And I love your girls, and I'm not going to be the one to stand in the way of this family getting back together." There, she thought, I said it.

Charles reached out and took her hand, hesitantly. "You are confusing the book with reality, Liza." He paused, stroking her skin with his thumb.

She looked down at her hand enclosed in his. How well they fit together. "She said you were talking about her moving back into the townhouse."

Charles shifted, annoyed, running a hand through his hair. He almost wondered if Pauline could pick up on whatever was going on with he and Liza and was purposely trying to drive a wedge between them. He had told Bob and Julia that he was interested in an assistant in his company; maybe Julia had spilled that information to Pauline and she had put two and two together. "Well, she tells you way too much," he retorted back at Liza, sighing, "that's not exactly accurate."

Liza pulled her hand away and straightened, taking a defiant stand. "Is that why you wanted to pull me off the book? Because she tells me too much?"

"I wanted to pull you off the book to try to uncomplicate us, Liza. Isn't that what you wanted? To uncomplicate things? I don't want to throw away what we have, what we could be, for this…" He gestured at the room behind them, where the shadows inside danced across the drawn curtains. He stepped towards her, taking her head in his hands. "I think we are making a mistake."

Liza shivered at his touch, her eyes slanting downwards before lifting back to meet his gaze. "I don't think it's a mistake, Charles," she whispered quietly. "This book could be a huge success for the company and for Pauline and for…"

"You." He slipped his down so that they rested on her arms.

"Yes." She said flatly.

"Well," he said, squeezing her arms lightly, "Let's make this book a huge success, then."

Before she could speak he leaned in, grazing her cheek with a brief kiss before turning and disappearing back into the crowded house.

Charles leaned back against the leather headrest, gazing out at the city lights as the car made it's way back to the brownstone. He had left the party before Pauline, but had stopped at a nearby bar to nurse his wounds with a few glasses of whiskey.

He'd thought his heart was going to drop through the bottom of his stomach earlier, when he'd seen Liza with Jay. The way Jay had slide up to Liza as she spoke with Bob and Julia, resting his hand on the small of her back. Liza had leaned into him smiling, the two acting like a happy couple. Liza had insisted that they were good friends, but Charles selfishly wondered if it had ever been anything more. They were obviously very comfortable with each other, and they had left together, very quickly. Was Liza trying to punish him for this mess by hooking up with one of his best friends? He clenched his hand in his lap, his whole body shaking with repressed anger. Something needed to give, and fast.

Gripping his glass of whiskey tightly, Charles exhaled a sigh of relief as he heard Pauline slowly descend the stairs and leave for the night. He could feel himself tense in her presence, even if she was a full floor above him, reading the girls a good night story. He felt almost like a stranger in her company – neither of them were the same person that they were when she left. It felt like a lifetime ago.

He had sensed that she wanted to stay and talk, but he had little interest in speaking with her. He'd just finished reading her last chapter, and while it was good, it just reminded him that they were not the characters in the book. The happy ending that was Kate and Karl's was not theirs. It might be what Pauline wanted, but he no longer felt the same way. He tossed her manuscript onto a side table and settled back into the chair, reaching over to pick up his phone. His finger hovered over Liza's name in his contacts – it had been too long since they had one of their late night conversations, and he missed speaking with her, just the two of them.

His phone beeped, startling him, and he looked down at the Google Alert that came up on his screen. He'd had an intern set it up for him – sending him a notification anytime Empirical Print was mentioned in an article. He sighed, swiping the notification off his screen and bringing up the Page Six link.

The picture that came up made his stomach sink and he clenched his phone tightly. An article about Katie Lee's new cookbook, complete with a cover photo of her with her arms around Liza and Jay god damn Malick. A glutton for punishment, he enlarged the picture. Liza stood between Jay and Katie, one arm around Katie's shoulder, the other around Jay's waist. Jay was clutching Liza's waist as well, and he felt his heart sink as he noticed the way Liza leaned into Jay with comfort and familiarity. If there hadn't been something going on between them, there was now.

Liza collapsed onto her bed, turning off the light and putting an end to this miserable day. She felt terrible in every sense. Watching Pauline and Charles tonight had reeked havoc on her emotions. The way they held hands, the way they smiled at each other. She knew it was easy to sink back into a comfortable routine with someone you have a history with, but she hated seeing the evidence of their marriage in front of her. It was bad enough that she was editing the book, but it made her sick to think that she might have a hand in reuniting the man she was clearly in love with with his wife.

The night had only gotten worse at the end of the award ceremony. She'd thought she was going to be sick when she saw them get in the car and go home. Together. It'd taken every shred of her self control to not fall apart right there on the sidewalk.

Turning over in bed, she rubbed her hand over her eyes, willing the tears to stop. She felt so conflicted. She didn't want to be the person who stood in the way of a family coming back together, but she didn't want Charles to be with Pauline either. She wanted him to herself. She couldn't feel happy for them, as much as she wanted to. When would it be her chance to be happy?

And then there was Jay. Sweet, kind, funny, understanding Jay. He'd escorted her home from the awards, from the town car to the steps of her apartment. He was such a good guy, and Liza felt so guilty for leading him on. But he knew now that her heart belonged to someone else. To one of his closest friends. It had felt like a weight lifting when she had admitted to him her love for Charles. She kept her feelings for him so bottled up, so repressed that sometimes if felt like she was going to explode. Jay had been so understanding, holding her and consoling her all the way back to Brooklyn. He had smiled at her on the doorstep, assuring her that he was more than happy to remain just friends. He knew, looking at her, that there was no way he could compete against the feelings she had for Charles. Clearly there was a lot more going on behind the scenes, and he only hoped that Charles would realize how much Liza loved him, and that he would realize it soon.

Liza tossed and turned for a few hours, finally falling asleep only to be awoken at dawn by her phone vibrating. Thinking of Caitlin, she scrambled for it, almost falling out of bed.

"Caitlin?" She asked, her voice heavy with concern.

"No. It's Josh."

Charles settled back into his desk, staring at the folder in front of him, wondering how he could have gotten things so wrong. As much as he had hated seeing it, he realized now that she was involved, in some capacity, with Jay. They'd been at the awards ceremony together and he had watched her leave with him. Two days later and he hadn't seen her hardly at all, just a flash of her brown hair as she stepped onto the elevator yesterday. All he had wanted to do since the awards was talk to her, clear the air. Reassure her, for what felt like the hundredth time, that he and Pauline were not reconciled. Amicable yes, but not getting back together. And now, well, now she was apparently in Ireland with Josh. What the hell was going on? Pulling out his phone, he typed out a quick text to her.

_Here you headed to Ireland with Josh. Travel safe. I hope you are happy, Liza. Truly._

As much as it hurt him, he did hope that she was happy, even if that meant that she was with someone else. His phone buzzed almost instantaneously, and he almost jumped out of his seat.

_Just boarding the plane now. Josh and Clare are getting married. I'm not with him. Or Jay. Talk soon – L. _

Charles let out a shaky breath of relief as her message sunk in. If she wasn't with Josh, and she wasn't with Jay, what did that mean for the two of them?

Charles settled into the back of the cab, angling his body away from Pauline as best he could. He felt a certain awkwardness now when the two of them were alone that was never there before. He was feeling an immense amount of pressure from her – to reconcile, to play the happy couple to the press, to their friends. He felt like he was going to burst. And the only person he could talk to about it was across the ocean, watching her ex-lover get married.

He pulled out his phone and typed another message to her.

_Did you see me on GMA? Not my idea. I wish you were here, Liza. I miss you. _

A day and a half later, and he hadn't heard a word back from Liza. It was Sunday morning, and he had tossed and turned all night, checking his phone a dozen times to see if he had missed a message from her. He regretted mentioning it to her. He didn't want her to see it and take everything out of context. He and Pauline were not "working on it". He knew that if Liza saw that, it would drive her even further away, and he already felt like he was losing her, that whatever they had was slipping through his fingers, as much as he tried to hold on tight.

It was just before dawn, and he was sitting in armchair by the window in his bedroom, watching the trees behind the brownstone sway slightly in the breeze. The trees were lush and green, making him instantly think of Liza in Ireland. In another lifetime he would love to whisk her away to Dublin and spend hours together perusing old bookstores, just the two of them.

Just call her, he told himself, pulling his phone out of his pocket. You need to speak with her. No more texting. Just put it all out there and just see what happens. So, he did.

Liza threw the last of her clothes into her suitcase, scanning the room for any remaining belongings. She could still here the wedding reception outside her window, going on in full swing.

It was done. Josh was married, and she needed to move on. She may have single handedly pushed away all the men in her life, but at least she had a good life. Great friends and a great job. That was what she wanted, wasn't it? It was time to go home and move on, to see what the future held. She wasn't supposed to leave for another day, but she didn't think she could be around Josh and Clare much more.

She picked up her phone to check for an earlier flight and her heart skipped a beat when she saw that she had a missed call from Charles. She started to redial, but paused, letting her finger hover over the button.

She had seen the GMA interview, and hated every minute of it. So they were reconciling, which Liza knew, was the way it should be. They'd been married for a long time, and had two children together. It was what was best for the kids. Leaning back on the bed, she debated with herself. Just call him, part of her brain yelled, clear the air for a final time. Either there is a future there or there isn't. It's best to know now, she decided, and hit the green call button.

The phone rang a few times, each ring seeming to last forever. Finally, he answered.

"Liza," he said, his voice quiet and a little husky, "I didn't think you would call me back."

She settled back against the pillow, smiling at the sound of his voice and marveling at how it soothed her, like a warmth that started in her heart and spread into every crevice of her body.

"I just saw that you called. I didn't have my phone on me at the ceremony."

"Ahh, how was the uh, wedding?" He asked tentatively. He knew that she and Josh were friends, but it still had to be hard watching an ex get remarried.

"It was beautiful. I'm happy he's happy. But Charles," she paused, "That's not why I called you. That's not why you called me."

"I suppose not."

"I saw the interview. I'm happy that you two are back together. You deserve to be happy, Charles. So, so much." Her voice broke on the last bit, and Charles watched to reach through the phone and hold her.

"Liza," he cried, almost painfully, "Pauline and I are not getting back together. Trust me. She just said that for the interview."

"Does she know that?"

Charles sighed, rubbing a hand across his unshaven face. "I don't know. On some level I think she hopes, but she has to know that it's just not going to happen. It's a disaster, I know. Everything with Pauline is just jumbled together and I'm doing my best to figure out what to do. But, please, Liza, know that she is in my past. I want to focus on my future. Our future."

"I don't…."

Charles cut her off. "Liza, I really don't want to have this conversation over the phone. I want to see you, Liza. Will you call me when you get home? We can talk face to face, just the two of us."

"I think that's a good idea," she agreed, "I'll call you when I get home."

"Safe travels, Liza. I'll see you soon."


	18. Chapter 18

Charles slammed his fist into the punching bag once, twice, three times, the pain searing through his body faint in comparison to the betrayal and anger he was feeling. He could feel the sweat pouring off of his body, his heart beating fast. How long had he been down here? An hour? He wasn't even sure what time it was, just that it had been past midnight when he had returned from that dreadful meeting with Edward. He paused, peeling off the boxing gloves to expose swollen knuckles. The skin had broken in a few spots, but he couldn't even feel it. All he felt was betrayal.

How could she lie to him like that? After all this time, after all they had been through, all that they had almost done? He had been in love with her, and he had been pretty sure that the feelings were mutual. Sighing, he closed his eyes and took a drink of water from the bottle on the floor, trying to clear his mind as he strapped the gloves on again and resumed his assault on the punching bag in front of him. Everything that had happened over the last 48 hours was jumbled up in his mind and he didn't know what to do.

Liza was not the 27 year old Millennial that she held herself out to be. She was 42, divorced and had a kid in college. A kid! She'd been a soccer coach, a Girl Scout troop leader, a member of the PTA. Her husband was a dentist with a gambling problem. He just couldn't picture it, but the undeniable proof was sitting in a briefcase a floor above him.

Why had she done it? That was what was so perplexing. What self respecting adult would do what she did? Was it funny to her? Or did she do it out of desperation? All her quirks, everything that had stood out to him, it all started to make sense now. She wasn't a twenty something with an old soul, with an air of elegance and a refined taste in literature. She had lived a full life before he had even met her.

All he knew for sure was that once again he had been made a fool. And yet, he thought, swearing to himself, a part of him was relieved. Knowing that he wasn't going through some mid-life crisis, lusting after a woman twenty years his senior. He was angry with Liza, that was undeniable, but he still wanted her.

"You've been down here awhile."

The soft, lilting voice jolted Charles out of his own head. He paused, panting, and turned to see Pauline leaning against the doorframe, barefoot in a bubblegum pink silk robe.

"Yeah," he said gruffly, rubbing his sweaty face with a towel. "A lot to think about."

Pauline nodded, smiling softly. How easy it would be to give her what she wanted, to slip back into the familial routine of a married couple with kids. He knew that was her endgame, but it wasn't what he wanted. Regardless of this disaster with Liza, his marriage to Pauline was over. He just needed her to figure that out.

"Why don't you come upstairs. You've had a long day."

"I'm fine, Pauline. Don't worry about me. Just go up to bed. "

"Charles, I…" she started, but he held up a hand.

"I really don't want to talk right now, okay? I just need some space." He pushed past her into the hallway. She was the last person he wanted to be around right now, and he couldn't seem to escape her.

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"Oh, hun, what's wrong?"

Liza sighed heavily, leaning back against the heavy metal door to the loft. Shrugging off her black coat she slipped out of her heels and tossed the coat carelessly aside.

"Maggie, I ruined everything." Her voice was shaky and full of tears, causing Maggie to sit up from her spot on the couch and turn off the tv.

"C'mere," she said softly, rising to her feet to pull Liza down next to her. Liza's face was streaked with tears, her mascara smudged. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Liza nodded, leaning her head back and closing her eyes for a moment. The last few days had been a blur. In retrospect, she probably should have seen this coming. Charles had been acting distant around her ever since the disaster with Moore. He'd brushed off her attempts at conversation and she had caught him staring at her with an odd expression on his face a few times. He knew, and now everything was ruined.

"Charles knows. Everything." It was the first time she had said the words out loud and they lingered in the air like a cloud settling in. Her life as she knew it was over. Leaning over, she took Maggie's wine glass and began to explain.

20 minutes later she was horizontal on the couch, one hand covering her red eyes as she rested her head on Maggie's shoulder. Maggie was smoothing her hair and trying to calm Liza's frayed nerves. She'd never seen Liza so upset.

"You really care about this guy, don't you?" Maggie said softly, brushing a lock of hair out of Liza's eyes.

"Maggie, I love him. I can't even imagine not having him in my life. He's smart and kind and caring and he just gets me, you know? And now he hates me."

"If he cares for you half as much as you care for him, he doesn't hate you."

Liza sat up a little bit, taking a sip of wine. "You didn't hear him Maggie, didn't hear what he said. He hates me."

"He's angry. He might be mad, but I bet you that he doesn't hate you. If he's a decent guy he'll realize you did this for all the right reasons, not the wrongs one. But you lied to him, Liza, and that hurts a guys ego. Just give him a little time."

"What if he fires me?"

"He won't fire you. Kelsey won't allow it. Honestly, he's probably relieved."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, now he knows that he hasn't had the hots for a twenty something. Your personality doesn't change whether you say you're 26 or 46."

Liza smiled slightly, leaning into her best friend. "Thank you Mags. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Remember that the next time you complain about schlepping my laundry to the drycleaners."

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Liza stepped off the elevator into the darkened and empty lobby of Diana's building. She had stayed long after the party had ended, putting away food and sopping up water from the floor in the bathroom. She'd finally gotten ahold of a plumber and snuck out before Diana could manhandle her into helping the guy repair the broken toilet.

She hadn't been able to keep her eyes off of Charles all night, even though every time he caught her looking at him he fixed her with an icy glare, his jaw set. He'd looked especially handsome tonight in his blue blazer, his shirt unbuttoned just enough to give her a peek at his chest. The tension between them could have been cut with a knife, but the rest of the partygoers had seemed mercifully oblivious. Or in Kelsey's case, very, very drunk. She'd caught him glaring at her as she had chatted with Don Ridley, a charming journalist who had seemed to take a shine to her. She wasn't sure if it was anger or jealousy or a combination of both, but she was growing weary of the cold rigidity.

"Does she know?"

Liza spun on the spot as she stepped out into the cool fall air, the deep voice behind her startling herself out of her thoughts. Charles leaned up against a nearby lamppost, a half smoked cigarette dangling from one hand.

"Diana? No."

"Humph," was his response as he tossed the cigarette to the pavement, crushing it with the tip of his shoe.

"Charles, I…." Liza started towards him but he put a hand up to stop her from coming further.

"I can't, Liza. I don't want to talk about this right now." He rubbed one hand over his eyes and as he did so, felt Liza step forward and take his raised hand in both of hers. Looking down at her he could see her brown eyes full of tears, pleading him.

"I need to explain. I need you to know why I did what I did." She squeezed his hand lightly. While hers were icy cold, his fingers felt warm and comforting to the touch.

He wanted nothing more than to sweep her up into his arms, to crush his lips against hers, to have her, to hold her. Being around her was like taking a hit of a drug he was hopelessly addicted to – her presence just made him want more and more. Sighing heavily he pulled his hand out from between hers and slipped it into his coat pocket, clenching his fist of out view.

"I need you to forget about us, Liza." He said quietly, his voice cracking. "You betrayed me, you broke my heart, and I need you to forget about us. Good night, Liza." He turned on the spot, retreating into the darkness and using every ounce of willpower that he had to not look back at the woman he loved.


	19. Chapter 19

**Short chapter, but the next one (Christmas Miracle/The Bubble) will be worth it!

Liza paused in the entryway to Chrissy Hart's mansion, staring at the rocker's retreating form. She couldn't help but fangirl over her teen idol, but she was totally thrown off when Chrissy had made her proclamation of her plans for Charles. Could Chrissy sense the tension between them, sexual or not? She certainly seemed less than thrilled that Liza was going to be sticking around.

He had cooled off slightly and was not as outwardly hostile as he had been before she had snapped at him after the Don Ridley meeting. She knew he was angry, and he had a right to be, but not at the expense of everyone around them, not at the expense of the business. She was growing tired of his, for lack of a better word, bitchy behavior, and wasn't sure how much more she could take. So, she took a deep breath, smoothed her hair, and walked into the lion's den.

Two hours later and Liza had sampled three different varieties of truly disgusting home-brewed kombucha, 2 shots of something that tasted like battery acid and was well on her way to a second glass of a halfway decent Chianti that Chrissy had summoned from her wine cellar. She could feel the buzz of the alcohol seeping into her system. Her body was warm and flushed, her inhibitions lowered. She was perched on the edge of couch in the living room, leaning slightly into Charles. He smelled delicious, and Liza just wanted to nuzzle her face into his neck and wrap her arms around his body.

Charles could feel Liza leaning into him, her floral perfume seeping into his system like a drug. Or maybe it was the alcohol, which he'd been sipping since mid-afternoon. Or a little bit of both. Whatever it was, it was making his head spin. He didn't push her away, although part of his brain, the sober part, was telling him to move away, to get as far away from her as possible. But if he was honest with himself, he didn't want to. Being near Liza felt good. He was still hurt by what she did, but he found himself wanting to be near her, wanting to talk to her like he used to.

Chrissy had teased them with the book before she passed out, and the two of them were awkwardly sitting on the couch, a sudden silence filling the room.

"I guess we should call it a night," he said quietly, rising slowly to his feet. Chrissy's assistant had propped her in a chair in the corner, where the singer was snoring loudly. Charles shook his head, chuckling softly. "Hopefully we'll have better luck tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow." Liza repeated, following Charles into the hallway and up the stairs. She hadn't brought any overnight things and assumed there was a guest bedroom somewhere in this huge house. They climbed the stairs to an empty hallway and Charles paused outside a door. Liza pushed open the door across from his to find a sparsely decorated bedroom. She turned to Charles, smiling slightly.

"It was, uh, nice to see you laugh."

Charles shrugged; his body half turned from Liza. The thought of the proximity of the two of them to several empty beds was making his head pound. "Well, hopefully there'll be, uh, fewer antics tomorrow and we'll get the book. Good night." He stepped towards the door, his hand resting on the doorknob. He could sense her watching him.

"When are you going to trust me again?" Her voice sounded so sad, so broken that it made Charles' heart ache. He closed his eyes, sighing.

"I don't want to do this right now, Liza."

She reached out to touch him gently on the arm. "Just talk to me," she pleaded, stepping closer to him. "Please, Charles. Just yell, if that will help. The silence is just…." She trailed off, wiping a tear from her eye. "I just don't know how much more I can take. If you're trying to punish me, it's working."

Sighing, he turned, leaning his tall body against the doorframe. "I'm not trying to punish you, Liza," he responded quietly, lowering his head to stare at the wood floor.

"lt feels like you are." Liza rested her hand on his forearm, needing to be close to him, to have a connection to him. It felt like she was losing him, and she planned to hold on for dear life.

"Well, I'm sorry for that. I just," he raked a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I don't know how to deal with all of this."

"Is it that big of a deal that I lied about my age? That I'm not in my twenties?" She didn't think that he was the kind of guy that would think less of her because she was older, but maybe she didn't know him as well as she thought.

"Liza," he sighed, pulling back from her. "I don't care that you're 41. It makes sense. The way you talk, the way you think, it all makes sense now. But I care that you lied. For months and months. After things between us progressed."

"I'm so sorry, Charles. I wish I could change things."

"I know that you're sorry. But you betrayed me. I need some time to deal with that. And until I can process it, I need you to forget about it. Good night, Liza." He nodded toward the door behind her, indicating that the conversation was over. He turned towards his door as hers closed, but he couldn't bring himself to open the door.

Turning slowly, he took two quiet steps towards the door to Liza's bedroom. He raised his hand, hesitating for just a moment before rapping his knuckles against the door. Liza opened the door almost instantly, as if she had been standing on just the other side. She didn't say anything, but looked up at him, her brown eyes like molten chocolate.

"I just…." He started, not sure of what he wanted to say, if he wanted to say anything at all. "Oh, fuck it," he whispered to himself, and pulled her to him.

It was a searing kiss, all heat and passion, and Liza stumbled backwards into her room as Charles leaned against her, one hand tight around her waist as the other clutched her hair. She returned his advances with equal fervor as they stepped in tandem towards the bed. Charles dipped his head down to her neck, eliciting a quiet moan from Liza as he slipped a hand under her shirt, running his hand across her bare back. Taking a deep breath Liza slipped a hand on to his shoulder firmly, pushing him back.

"Charles, wait…" She breathed, squeezing his shoulder.

"I don't want to wait anymore. I'm sick of waiting." His voice was muffled as he continued his tortuous assault on her neck.

Liza placed both hands on him and took a step back. "And as much as I want this, I don't want it like this. Drunk and angry and stumbling around a dark bedroom in this crazy woman's house. It's not right."

Groaning, Charles ran a hand over his face. "You're right." He leaned forward, kissing Liza softly for a brief moment before striding across the room. He opened the door, pausing with his fingers on the handle. "Goodnight, Liza." He swung the door shut behind him, leaving Liza alone in the darkness.


	20. Chapter 20

Liza stood against the wall in Bob and Julia's apartment, watching Caitlin from across the room, chatting animatedly with Rose and her parents. She loved watching her like this, candid, unaware. It made her heart happy that she had found a best friend in Rose, even if it meant that Liza would occasionally be running in the same circles as Charles and his best friends.

He'd barely spoken to her since their separate returns from Shelter Island, but he was polite and cordial to her when they did speak. Part of her hoped that he was ashamed of how he had left, disappearing in the early hours of the morning without a word to anyone. But the rest of her, well, the rest of her wished she hadn't pushed him away when he had come to her room. It wasn't just her heart that ached for him, it was every inch of her body. She couldn't help it. The attraction was there, and it wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

She was just thankful that he wasn't here tonight, that he had opted to attend the party for Jake Devereaux's book. She didn't think she could handle her worlds colliding at this party.

"At least we did something right." The voice behind her startled her, but not as much as the arm that swung around her shoulders and pulled her tight. David.

"Jesus, you scared me."

"Not Jesus. Just your husband." David grinned at her, taking a sip of his drink. She could tell by the redness of his face that he had already downed a few drinks before she had arrived.

"Ex-husband," she reminded him, rolling her eyes. "We signed the divorce papers six months ago, David."

"I was just joking, Lizzy," David sighed, using his nickname for her that she hated with a passion. "It's a party, you need to relax. You feel tense." He added, rubbing her back. Liza rolled here eyes again, stepping away from David.

"I'm going to go say hello to our daughter, if you care to join me." Liza crossed the room, feeling David follow behind her like a puppy. She introduced David to Bob and Julia and smiled tightly as Caitlin hugged her and then David fiercely, even though it had only been hours since she had last seen her father.

"Liza, I'm going to go freshen my drink. Care to come with me?" Julia gently wrapped her manicured hand around Liza's forearm, tugging her away before Liza had time to object and pulling her towards a small bar in the corner.

"I hope you don't mind, Liza, but there's someone coming tonight that I would like to introduce you to. A man," Julia whispered, conspiratorially.

"Oh," Liza protested. "That's not necessary. I'm really not dating right now." She accepted a glass of wine from Julia and tried to ignore the hopeful look on the woman's face.

"Exactly! What's the harm in one little introduction? There's no reason why you shouldn't be out there living your life! You're single and gorgeous, and so is this guy. He's an old friend of Bob's. Smart, kind, so handsome, and on the market. Just promise me you'll let me introduce you two. I think you'll have a lot in common."

"Okay, okay." Liza consented, laughing at the elated look on Julia's face. She didn't have any interest in dating anyone. Charles, but that was off the table. But an introduction wouldn't do any harm.

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Charles stepped of the elevator and headed towards the door to Bob ad Julia's apartment. He could hear music and laughter inside, but all he wanted to do was go home. This would be his second stop of the evening, and all he wanted to do was change into some comfortable clothing and relax with his girls. Bob had told him that there was a woman coming to the party tonight that he wanted to introduce to him. Probably some high powered attorney that he worked with, or one of Julia's endless string of vapid society friends. There was only one woman that he had any interest in, and he was trying as hard as he could to repress those feelings.

He was actually looking forward to getting out of the city for the holidays. Usually he loved New York at Christmas. The bustle of the crowds never bothered him, and he loved how the snow coated the city, how the holiday lights cast a magical glow over everything. But this year, it felt cramped. Mostly because he couldn't get Liza out of his head, or his heart, or his office. She was everywhere, and it was getting harder and harder to avoid confronting his feelings for her.

He swung open the door to the apartment, met by a wall of people peering into the living room. Closing the door quietly he stepped through the archway, weaving towards where Bob and Julia stood next to an armchair, watching a couple of party guests perform a musical number.

"Charles!" Bob grabbed his arm and pulled him into the living room, gesturing towards the woman dancing and singing in the front of the room with a young blonde girl. "That's the woman we've been wanting to set you up with.!"

"I have been wanting to set you up with," Julia added, but he barely heard her as the woman turned and Charles recognized the tall figure with the gorgeous chestnut hair. Liza.

"Her daughter is Rose's roommate." Julia added, nudging him as she caught sight of the smile playing on his lips.

He took in the scene before him, trying to process. The blonde girl must be Caitlin, her daughter. He took in the man in the plaid shirt playing accordion off to one side. He couldn't help but notice the smile he flashed at Liza every time she turned towards him. "Who's that on the accordion?"

"Don't worry about him," Bob assured him. "That's the ex, David. Out of the picture. This is just their holiday tradition."

"Huh," Charles responded, distracted by the twinge of annoyance he felt anytime he saw Liza with another man. He couldn't keep the slight smile off of his face as she caught sight of him and stumbled behind her daughter. It was like he was seeing her, truly seeing her, for the first time, and he could feel that final layer of hurt and anger falling away from him.

"She's beautiful, right?" Julia said, as Liza scurried out of the room.

"Absolutely."

Liza excused herself the second that humiliation was over, locking herself in the bathroom as she pulled off the apron and pulled her hair loose of the braids. Her hands were shaking and the pins holding her hair up fell to the floor. What was he doing here? She should have known he would show up…she should never have come. Taking a deep, bracing breath, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

"Oh, excuse me, fraulein." Bob reached out to her, waving her to where he stood with Julia and Charles. "There is someone who would like to meet you. Charles Brooks, this is Liza Miller."

"Very nice to meet you, Liza." Charles gestured towards her with his glass, bowing his head slightly as they exchanged a knowing look.

"You too." She said quietly, glancing up at his face.

"That's quite an act you've got there." The statement was loaded, for sure, but when Liza looked up at him as Julia chattered away, she saw a different Charles. Not the man who had given her the cold shoulder for the past month, not the man who pulled away from her touch and avoided her at all costs. But the man she had fallen in love with, with the kindest, most piercing eyes and a playful smile toying on his lips. She had become used to his angry glare, his tired, hurt expression, but that was all gone tonight.

Bob and Julia beamed stupidly at the both of them as they foursome stood there conversing. Charles could tell that Liza was uncomfortable, and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her to soothe her squeamish behavior.

"Mom!" Caitlin called, barreling down the hall and grabbing Liza's arm. "There you are. I want you to meet somebody." Caitlin glanced up at Charles and he could see Liza in her face, in her eyes. He watched as Liza wrapped an arm around her daughter.

"Um, this is Charles Brooks," she said softly, glancing up at Charles. "He's a friend of the Katz's. This is my daughter, Caitlin."

"Hi, Caitlin," Charles reached out and shook her hand, noticing that she had small, cool hands, just like her mother. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," she smiled up at her mother "Mom, Becky just got here. I want you to say hello."

Charles watched as the mother and daughter bantered for a moment before disappearing down the hall.

"She's adorable, right?" Julia asked, smiling slyly, clearly pleased with her matchmaking skills. Oh, if only she knew. "We can set you up if you're interested."

Charles cleared his throat as he watched Liza from across the room. "She is definitely interesting."

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Liza poured herself another glass of wine and glanced out the window at the city lights. The snow was falling slowly and softly, making the city look like it was captured within a snow globe, protected from the outside world. If only it were that easy, she thought, taking a sip of white wine. She was drinking more than normal tonight, but her head still felt crystal clear. Nothing like having your worlds collide to sober you up.

"Liza." His voice was soft and warm and just behind her. Charles stepped up right behind her, glancing out at the view. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she answered, a little breathless. "Listen, Charles…."

"Not now. Not tonight." He reached up and touched her arm briefly before glancing over to where Rose and Caitlin sat giggling on the sofa. "Your daughter is quite charming. She reminds me of you."

"How's that?" Liza arched an eyebrow.

"She can clearly light up a room. You do that, whether you realize it or not. At least I think so." He added, looking quickly down at the floor.

"She means the world to me. Caitlin is everything to me. Everything I do, everything I am, it's all for her."

Charles watched her as she spoke, seeing the mother in her spill out. The worry, the obligation. Her struggles suddenly became more real to him. Abandoning her career to raise a child. A husband with a gambling addiction. The divorce. Having to start over after living life one way for so long. She was still Liza, still the woman he had fallen in love with, but now there was so much more to her. And he wanted to know everything.

Liza looked up at him, searching his eyes, trying to decipher the expression on his face. He looked almost stunned, as if something had suddenly dawned on him. She hoped that tonight, as embarrassing as it had been, was a step towards repairing their relationship. If he decided he didn't want to be more with her, maybe there was chance that they could be friends, colleagues with similar shared experiences. Maybe she could live with that.

"Liza!" David stepped towards them, wrapping an arm around Liza's waist. "Caitlin's ready to go. You still want a ride back to Brooklyn?" He tugged her a little closer as he glanced at Charles, taking in his tall stature, the intimate way he was leaning in towards Liza.

Charles noticed how she winced when the man touched her, an annoyed, pained expression on her face. The rosy faced accordion player. Her ex-husband. He gave the guy a once over and glanced at Liza, smiling slightly. He could not picture her with this guy. A dentist, if he remembered correctly.

David reached out his free hand to shake Charles'. "I'm David, Liza's husband. And you are?"

"Ex-husband," Liza corrected, slipping out of David's grasp. Charles had to choke back an amused laugh, covering it with a cough. He reached out to shake the man's hand.

"Charles Brooks. An old friend of Bob and Julia's. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"So, you ready to go, babe?" Liza saw Charles stiffen as David spoke to her, trying to mark his territory. She really didn't want to take a cab back to Williamsburg.

"Yeah, I guess. Let me just grab my coat." David volunteered to grab it for her, disappearing quickly down the hall. Sighing, she turned to Charles. "I'm sorry about that. He can be a little much. Especially after he's been drinking."

"It's quite alright, Liza. It's nice to see you, uh, in your natural habitat. With your daughter, I mean."

There was so much more that both of them wanted to say, but neither seemed able to find the words. They stood quietly for a moment and as Charles saw David come back down the hall he leaned over, kissing Liza lightly on the cheek.

"I'll see you at the office," he whispered before raising his voice slightly. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Liza." He smiled at her one last time before slipping back into the crowded living room.

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Liza sighed happily as she turned the final corner onto her street, puffing out a heavy breath to try to blow her hair out of her eyes. The snow was falling fast and furious and she had to squint to see the sidewalk right in front of her. She'd headed out shopping after work, inspired to pick up a few more gifts for Caitlin and Maggie after she'd received her bonus from Empirical. It was more than she had ever expected, and would help her pay off some lingering debt from the divorce and still be able to put some in savings. She'd even picked up a few small gifts for Bianca and Nicole, now that she and Charles were at least on friendly speaking terms. They'd had a nice conversation at the office today, one that she hoped would make him realize her motivations for what she had done.

As she approached her building, she heard the indiscriminate buzzer of the front door. Someone was desperately trying to get into the building. Squinting into the darkness, she saw a tall figure leaning into the doorway. She blinked a few times, trying to clear the snowflakes from her eyelashes, and she dropped her bags with a loud thud as she realized who was standing on her front stoop.

Charles spun around as he heard someone behind him. He'd been standing here for a good 20 minutes and had been about to give up. He blinked a few times, not sure if she was actually there or if he was imaging her. She was covered in snow, a blue beanie perched on top of her head and a scarf wrapped around her neck. The source of the noise, a large collection of shopping bags, sat at her feet. Her nose was red from the cold, but he thought she looked beautiful.

She stared at him for a moment as he climbed down the steps, stepping carefully over her bags to meet him on the sidewalk.

"What are you doing here?"

Charles just smiled and let out a deep breath, finally releasing all of his anger, his hurt, his hesitation. He had clarity like never before, and he knew what he wanted to do.

"I don't care anymore." Smiling, he leaned in, pulled her close, and kissed her like never before.


	21. Chapter 21

Liza swayed on the spot as Charles pulled her closer to him, kissing her more intensely than ever before. She could feel his hand in her hair as he clutched the back of her neck, bringing them both deeper into this embrace. Lightheaded and weak-kneed she held tightly onto his arms through his bulky winter jacket to keep herself upright. It felt as if the whole world had faded away, that in that moment they were the only two souls that existed, that nothing else mattered.

A minute later, Charles pulled away slightly, resting his forehead against hers, his arms still wrapped tightly around her.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while." He smiled at the look on her face, half stunned, half smile, her lips parted slightly and swollen from the kiss. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and her eyes were bright.

"What changed?" Liza asked simply, tilting her head up to look into his eyes.

"Everything," was his response, but it was drowned out by a gust of wind. He repeated it, leaning down to graze her lips gently.

"Do you want to come inside? Oh, don't you have a flight to catch? Charles, you'll miss your trip!" She suddenly looked panicked, and Charles couldn't help but laugh.

"I decided not to go skiing. I've got a few things here I'd like to take care of." He pushed a wisp of hair out of her eyes and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "I'd love to come inside, if the offer still stands."

Liza nodded and reached down to pick up her bags, but Charles beat her to it, sweeping them up and walking over to the steps as she pulled out her keyring. Maggie must be out, and she knew Caitlin was going to a friend's house and wouldn't be home until the following morning.

Charles followed Liza up two flights of stairs, pausing as she stopped outside a heavy metal door. She swung the door open and stepped into the apartment, flipping on the lights. Charles stepped in behind her, blinking a few times to adjust to the light.

He'd often tried to imagine where Liza lived when his mind had wandered to her late at night. Nothing he could have imagined compared to the sight before him. The loft apartment was all brick, and he imagined that during the daytime it was flooded with light from the large windows. If he hadn't known already that her roommate was an artist, he would know now. Sculptures and canvases and art materials were everywhere. The kitchen shelves were covered in colorful mugs and bowls. A blue sectional couch divided the kitchen from the living room, where a real Christmas tree twinkled with white lights. He saw little bits and pieces around that were clearly Liza – the dog-eared manuscript on the coffee table, the picture of her and Caitlin on a shelf by the door.

"You can make yourself comfortable," Liza slipped off her jacket, hanging it on a hook by the door. "Do you, uh, mind if I change quickly? I'm still in my work clothes and my shoes are soaked through from the snow. I'll just be a minute."

"Of course, Liza." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm in no rush." The smile she flashed at him was like a jolt of electricity to his body, spreading warmth to every inch of him.

"Can you hand me that red bag?" She pointed to a medium sized bag in his hand. He arched his eyebrow at her as he set the other bags down and handed her the bag. "I got gifts for Bianca and Nicole. I was just going to messenger them to your house, but, since you're here, I'll just give them to you."

"You didn't have to do that," Charles said softly, a wave of affection washing over him. After all they had been through recently, he wouldn't have imagined that she would have had his kids on her shopping list. Just one more thing about her that caught him off guard.

"I wanted to. They mean a lot to me. So does their father." She smiled at him once more before disappearing back into her room.

She stripped off her clothes quickly, tossing her dress and shoes onto the floor as she surveyed the dresser drawer in front of her. She knew that as much as they both wanted to, tonight was not the night for them. Their connection was real now, truly, and she wanted to do everything right.

Charles wandered slowly around the apartment, taking a better look at his surroundings. Her roommate's art was impressive, albeit a little outside his comfort zone. But he thought to himself as he examined a Hindu sculpture, maybe it was time to step outside his comfort zone. He had lived a safe life and made all the sensible decisions his whole life. And while it had given him a good career and two wonderful daughters, it had also given him a business drowning in debt and a nasty divorce from a woman he had given 12 years to.

He paused to glance down at another picture of Liza with a dark-haired woman he assumed was her roommate, Maggie. Liza's eyes were bright in the picture, her hair cascading around her face like a waterfall. She was the most beautiful person he had ever met, inside and out. She radiated happiness, even from a photograph. His whole body ached with affection for her. He was nervous, more nervous than he had been on his first date with Pauline, or his wedding day, or his first day as publisher. His future was wide open, and he was going to make sure they did this right.

"Hey."

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, but the sound of it sent a wave of pleasure down his spine. Turning, he saw her emerge from her bedroom, carrying wrapped presents for the girls that she set down on the coffee table. She had changed out of her dress into black leggings and an off the shoulder grey sweater. She'd left her hair just the way he liked it, loose and wavy.

"Hey." His voice caught in his throat at the sight of her, and he quietly cursed himself for his lack of an elegant response.

"Do you, uh, want some coffee?" She fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, a little nervous.

"Got anything stronger?" Charles suggested. They both needed to calm their nerves.

Liza laughed and gestured towards a brown bag that Charles had carried up. "We can break into your Christmas present a little early, if you'd like. I'll get some glasses." She padded over to Maggie's well stocked bar cart, pulling out two highball glasses as Charles opened the bottle of scotch, she had purchased for him. Pausing to fiddle with the lights, she dimmed the overhead lights and flipped on a lamp next to the couch. Charles poured an ample amount of scotch into both glasses and handed one to her, letting his fingers linger on hers for an extra moment.

"Cheers," Liza raised her glass to him as they settled into the couch. Charles had shed his coat and was wearing a navy-blue sweater that brought out his icy blue eyes.

"To new beginnings." Charles clinked his glass with hers and they both took a long drink. A silence fell over them for a moment. Not awkward or tense, but serene. Neither of them knew where to begin.

"I'm sorry, Liza."

"I want to tell you everything."

They both spoke at the same time, glancing at each other and laughing. Charles reached over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him, not failing to notice that she seemed to fit perfectly into the crook of his arm, nestled against his shoulder.

"I want to apologize," he started softly, "for how I've acted the past few weeks. My behavior was atrocious." He felt almost sick to his stomach as he reflected on his behavior towards her. He'd been bitter and snide, something he had never been before, and he didn't care to ever act like that again.

Liza tucked her legs up underneath her and turned to him. Even as they were wading into uncharted territory and discussing her past like never before he had a way of making her feel safe and comfortable even when she was ashamed of her behavior. Josh had never made her feel like that.

"You don't have to apologize, Charles. I betrayed you, I'm the one who is sorry."

"Liza, you did what you had to do to take care of your child. I can admire that, I respect that. But, "He paused, pulling his arm from around her to take her hand in his. "No more lies between us, alright? I'm ready and willing to move forward, but we need to be honest with each other. Always."

Liza reached up slowly, caressing the side of Charles's face as she looked into his eyes. There she saw nothing but warmth, nothing but love and affection and desire. The look he was giving her set fire to her veins, and it took all of her willpower not to stand and pull him into her bedroom at that very moment. He made her feel loved and desired and appreciated just with one glance.

"So," Charles pulled her back to him, "tell me everything."

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Liza awoke early the next morning, stretching her limbs and rolling over to glance at the clock. It was almost 9:00 in the morning. She never slept that late, but then again, she and Charles had stayed up talking until well past midnight. She had told him everything, filling him in on all the details. She'd told him about her early years at Random House and how she had quit when she had Caitlin, mostly at David's urging. How she'd taken care of a toddler and sick parents while David was in dental school. How she'd lost her identity as Caitlin had grown and Liza had devoted her life solely to her daughter. How the floor had fallen out from under her when she discovered David's infidelity and financial woes. How she'd given up her life of 20 years to start fresh in New York City, how her lie was born, how she had struggled with it for the past two years. The retelling of her life had left her emotionally exhausted, and she had shed tears at a few points. Charles had pulled her close to him in those moments, drying her tears with his fingers, calming her with soothing words.

They'd parted on the front steps, embraced in a slow, languid kiss that left her feeling like her limbs were made of jelly. Charles had asked her to go out with him tonight, their first official date. Smiling to herself, she swung her legs out of bed. She felt almost giddy – today was going to be a great day.

"Good Morning, sleeping beauty," Maggie's voice startled Liza as she stepped into the living room. Maggie sat on the floor by the couch, putting the finishing touches on a brightly wrapped present. "You're up late."

Liza flopped onto the couch behind Maggie, yawning but unable to keep the smile off of her face. "I was up later than normal."

"Does that have anything to do with the two empty glasses and half a bottle of scotch I found on the coffee table this morning?" Maggie arched an eyebrow at her bestie, amused.

"Possibly."

"Oooh, do tell. Did you have a boy over, Liza?"

Liza smiled and sighed contentedly. "Definitely not a boy. Charles."

"Charles. Your boss Charles? I thought you were enemy numero uno."

"Well, we made up. We're going out tonight."

Maggie tilted her head, taking a long look at her friend. "This guy really means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

"I'm in love with him, Maggie. He's, just," she paused, struggling with finding the right words to describe how Charles made her feel. "I feel like me when I'm with him. Like's he a part of me that I've been missing all my life, and when I'm with him, I feel complete. Does that sound silly?"

"Not at all." Maggie perched on the edge of the coffee table and leaned over to take Liza's hand. "But there's a more important question that I need to ask."

"What's that?"

"What are you going to wear?"

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The rest of Liza's day was spent in nervous anticipation, much to Maggie's amusement. Caitlin showed up for a few hours, oblivious to her mother's change in behavior. The trio spent the afternoon making Christmas cookies before Caitlin headed to New Jersey for the weekend to spend a couple days with some friends before spending Christmas Eve with her father.

"Your Prince Charming is here." Maggie called out to Liza a few hours later when the doorbell buzzed as she sat on the edge of her bed, slipping her heels on. Taking a deep breath, she checked her reflection in the mirror. She was ready. For tonight, for this new beginning, for whatever the future held for she and Charles. She was all in.

Charles stood at the front door, introducing himself to Liza's infamous roommate Maggie, a short, dark haired Italian woman. He trailed off, however, when Liza's bedroom door opened, and Liza stepped out. His breath caught in his throat as she strode toward him, wearing a dress the color of coffee. If possible, it made her eyes look even warmer, her hair a shinier chestnut. Everything about her shimmered. The dress was silky and fell over her every curve like it was tailor made for her, the chest cut into a deep v that he knew would be distracting him plenty this evening.

"Hi." His voice came out a little hoarse and Liza blushed, her cheeks turning a pale pink.

"Have fun, you two." Maggie smirked, watching the exchange between the two. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Rolling her eyes, Liza lifted her jacket off of the hook, but not before Charles reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him.

"You look absolutely beautiful." He whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers, softly and slowly, like he was savoring something for the first, or the last time. His heart was beating in his chest, the anticipation for what this night may hold almost overwhelming. Smiling down at her, he slipped her jacket onto her shoulders and grasped her hand, intertwining her fingers with his. With one last glance at her, he led her out the door and into the night.

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Liza leaned back against the secluded booth at the Carlyle, watching as Charles picked up their drinks and wove back through the crowd. He was wearing grey dress pants and a dark blazer, his black shirt unbuttoned so she caught a glimpse of his chest, of skin she wanted to reach out and touch. His form was statuesque, and Liza could feel her breathe get caught in her throat as her eyes wandered over his physique. It was his eyes though, that caught her off guard. One moment they would be shining and bright, the next, dark, filled with an open desire that made her shiver. She was so used to the polite and buttoned up Charles Brooks that this side of him took her a bit by surprise.

Charles handed her the glass as he settled into the booth beside her, trying to steady his hand. He was nervous with anticipation for this evening – he'd been hoping and wishing for this for months. Taking Liza out on a date, in public, being able to touch her and hold her and kiss her. Glancing at each other, they both chuckled, admitting their nervousness to each other.

Liza took a sip of her drink, setting it back down and shifting to press her leg against his. "The first time I saw you," she spoke quietly, so that Charles had to lean in to hear her. "you were wearing this beautiful navy suite. You looked so tall and important."

He reached out and covered her free hand with his, rubbing his thumb across her skin. He remembered the first time he saw her like it was yesterday. "The first time I saw you…." He paused, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "You were eating lunch at your desk and reading Look Homeward, Angel. And I thought, who does that?"

Liza couldn't believe that he remembered such a miniscule detail. She was pretty sure that David and Josh had been high and drunk, respectively, when she had met them.

"I can't believe you remembered that." She said softly.

"I don't ever want to forget anything about you, Liza Miller." He whispered before leaning in for a soft, tender kiss.

The next two hours flew by as they got to know each other better, discussing the most random of topics, but most of all, literature. It was their great shared love, the one thing they were equally passionate about. They shifted closer together as the hours passed, holding hands and sneaking kisses as they leaned into each other. As they finished the drink, they both knew would be their last, Charles reached under the table and caressed Liza's thigh, sending shivers down her spine.

Charles could feel his body reacting to her intimate presence, that pool of desire in his stomach growing, demanding to not be ignored. Swallowing the last of his drink he signaled for the check before leaning in to kiss her once more, pulling away to whisper in her ear.

"Your place or mine?"

His breath was hot and his voice husky, turning Liza's slow burn of desire for him into a full-fledged fire. She glanced at him, knowing that her eyes were as dark with desire as the ones watching her.

"Yours."

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Charles' hand shook slightly as he pulled his key out of his pocket and unlocked the townhouse. Liza stood just behind him, her hand on his back. Swinging open the door he stepped aside to let her in, following quickly behind.

He flipped on a lamp and locked the door behind him, the finality of the click of the lock serving almost as a starting gun. Charles stepped forward and took Liza firmly in his arms, pushing her coat off as he kissed her hungrily. She moaned against his lips, pushing her hips suggestively against his as she reached up and pushed his jacket off of his shoulders. He gently pushed them backwards, Liza's back against the wall as he pressed the length of his body against hers so she could feel how desirous he was for her. His whole body ached as he pulled back from her, taking her hand and leading her upstairs to his bedroom.

"We can't go back to how we were after this," Liza whispered as Charles swung open the bedroom door and guided them inside.

"I hope not," he whispered back, his lips just an inch from hers. He stepped away from her to turn on the bedside lamp. When he turned back she stood on the opposite side of the room, slipping out of her heels. There's no going back now, he thought as he gazed at her, but who would want to?

Liza smiled back at him, a seductive smirk playing across her lips that made Charles ache hungrily for her. Unblinking, she lifted her hands to remove her earrings, flipping her long locks to one side, then the other, never taking her eyes off of him. He knew in that moment that he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone, anything, in all his life.

Matching her pace, he undid his cuff links and belt, never breaking her gaze. It was almost as if they were putting on a show for each other, toying with and teasing the other. He slid his shirt off and watched her eyes linger over his chest. Her eyes darkened, and it took the entirety of his self control to not cross the distance between them immediately.

He took in a sharp breathe as she reached behind her to pull the zipper of her dress down, letting the silky material fall from her shoulders onto the floor like a molten waterfall. She stepped out of the pool of fabric at her feet wearing only her bra and panties, pale purple and lace. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, and tonight, she was all his.

Struggling to control his desire, he slid his pants off, breaking their gaze to remove his shoes and socks. As he stood back up Liza crossed the distance between them, stepping into his arms as if she had done so a thousand times before.

He leaned in to kiss her, softly at first but deepening as his hands slid from her arms to trail across her chest and down her sides, grazing over the soft material of her undergarments before he clutched her waist and pulled her tight against him. He was determined to make this night last, but every inch of his body wanted her, wanted to fulfill the desire that had been building within him for the past two years. He'd wanted to hold her like this, open and exposed to him, for as long as he could remember.

Gently he guided their entwined bodies towards the bed, towards the folded down sheets that beckoned for their presence. He lowered Liza down onto the bed as carefully as he could, breaking their kiss only to position himself over her, shrouding his body with hers.

Liza moaned as his mouth met hers once more, both hot and hungry for each other, tongues and hands exploring each other's bodies in a way they both had only been able to fantasize for so long. That moan, throaty and seductive in a way he never could have imagined, was his undoing, the final push over the edge. Slipping a hand under her, he undid her bra, hooking a finger onto the material and pulling it off of her and flinging it somewhere into the room behind him.

He held in a primal growl as he felt Liza rake her hands down his back and hook her fingers into his briefs, pushing them down his body. She couldn't help but gasp as she freed him from the material and felt his immense arousal against her thigh. He lowered his lips to her neck, one hand reaching down to push her panties down off of her slim hips. She raised her hips against him to help him free her of the material and he groaned, his desire almost unbearable. He lowered his lips to one breast, then the other, eliciting sounds from Liza that set fire to his veins. He slid one hand underneath her, grasping onto her shoulder as his free hand traveled down to her waist, lifting her hips to him. Liza wrapped her arms around his shoulders, traveling over toned muscle as she pulled him into a deep kiss.

They moved together as though they had done this a thousand times before. Charles pushed into her slowly and almost cautiously, savoring the bliss that was being joined together with this woman he had desired for so long. He stilled for a moment, both of the breathing heavy, gazing into each other's with love and passion and desire. Almost as if they could read each other's minds they moved together, Liza wrapping her legs around him as he began to move inside her, gradually increasing his speed. God, he wanted to make this last, but his desire for her overwhelming. He quickened his pace, pushing into her with an intensity he had never experienced before. Liza moaned loudly underneath him, but he crushed his mouth against hers as he brought them both into oblivion with an intensity that left Liza feeling like her whole body had exploded into a million shimmering pieces.

A realization hit Liza as she slowly came down from her high, as she savored the feeling of Charles satiated body against hers. For so long she had thought that intimacy was about sex. But at the heart of it, it was about truth. And when you realize that you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them and their response is "you're safe with me" – that was real intimacy. And in this moment, she had never felt safer.


	22. Chapter 22

The morning following their first night together Charles and Liza rose slowly after spending their first waking hour languidly exploring each other, eliciting sounds and sensations from each other that neither had experienced before. Afterward, Liza laid in bed, the warm sheets gathered around her, watching Charles pack for his flight to Florida, marveling at the man before her.

Her relationship with Josh had been fun, the sex had been amazing, and he had reawakened a part of her that had been dormant for years, but she had always felt that on some level, he just didn't get her. Her life experiences were ones that he had yet to experience firsthand, and so she had always felt slightly disconnected from him. His lack of interest in her passion for literature had always compounded that disconnect. Yes, he wanted her to be happy and succeed in her job, but his eyes had always glazed over when she launched into a story about books. But with Charles, that was a completely different story. She knew, without a doubt, that this was the man she was supposed to be with. From the moment they had met there had been a spark, an undeniable chemistry that pulled them towards each other like magnets. And now that he knew her, really knew her, she felt real, she felt authentic, she felt complete.

He was a man so calm, so seemingly in control of his emotions, his surroundings, his life in general, that it was difficult to comprehend that there was an entire side of him that no one knew. Liza had gotten glimpses of it over the last two years – the confidant businessman that could be spontaneous, the romantic at heart, the sexy, subtle flirtiness that suggested that there was a lot more to him underneath those three piece suits. But all the moments that they had shared paled in comparison to last night. Rolling her head back she closed her eyes and reflected. Not only were she and Charles intellectually in sync, but he had loved her last night like he had been doing it for years. He knew where to touch her, how to kiss her, when to be aggressive and when to pull back. They had gotten little sleep, but the pleasant ache in her muscles assured her that it had been well worth it.

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Climbing the steps to the loft, Liza clutched her phone to her chest. His text as the car had pulled away had made her heart soar and she knew she had a stupid grin plastered on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy, but she also knew that the next ten days without him would be immensely difficult. Now that she had him, she didn't want to let him go. They'd promised to text frequently and would speak on Christmas Eve, which was only two days away, but to Liza it suddenly felt like a lifetime.

"Somebody got laid last night." Liza jumped when she heard Maggie's voice as she entered the apartment, looking up to see her roommate smirking at her as she buttered toast at the kitchen island.

"And this morning." Liza said smugly, reaching out to accept a steaming cup of coffee from Maggie as she slid her coat off.

Maggie laughed, leaning back against the counter and eyeing Liza. "I'm impressed. I like him already. I'm not letting you off the hook that easy, though. Go drink your coffee and get changed."

"What for?" Liza yawned, slipping her heels off. All she wanted to do was collapse onto her bed.

"You're going grocery shopping with me for Christmas dinner."

"It's just you, me and Caitlin. Do we really need a full dinner?"

"Do you not know me at all, woman? I'm Italian, it's in my blood. Shoo!" She pushed Liza in the direction of her bedroom, laughing and smiling, thrilled to see her best friend happy again.

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Stepping into her bedroom and closing the door quietly behind her, Liza smiled down at the name flashing on her phone screen before clicking answer.

"Happy Christmas Eve." She sat on the edge of her bed, leaning back onto her pillows.

"Happy Christmas Eve, Liza." His voice was deep and warm, filling her with a pleasant sensation. They'd texted and exchanged pictures over the past two days, but this was the first time that they had spoken since his departure on Sunday.

"How are the girls?" She asked, "Are you all having a good time?" She knew the situation wasn't ideal for him – spending the holiday with Pauline and her parents at their house in Florida. But he had wanted the girls to spend the holiday with both of their parents, now that Pauline was back in the picture.

"Surprisingly, it hasn't been too bad. I, uh," he paused, "I told the girls about you. About us. Not_ you_ specifically, but I told them that I, uh, had a girlfriend."

Liza couldn't help but grin when she heard him call her his girlfriend. "Is that what I am? Your girlfriend?"

She could hear the smile in his voice when he replied. "Absolutely. If you'll have me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." The conversation lulled for a moment, each of them smiling stupidly to themselves at either end of the call.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Watching Hallmark movies with Caitlin and Maggie. We ate way too much and before you called I was practically comatose laying on the couch."

"Sounds wonderful. Not the hallmark movies, but laying with you on the couch. Doing nothing together. Reading, drinking coffee…among other things."

"What day do you get back?" It was crazy how much she missed him, how her body actually physically ached for him after only two days.

"We fly back on the first. The girls don't start school until the following Monday. I thought maybe we could spend the weekend together. You, me, the girls."

"It sounds perfect, Charles."

"It's a date. God, I miss you. You have no idea."

"I think I might. Talk tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. Let's do a videochat, though. I want to see your pretty face."

"Sounds wonderful. I miss you."

"I miss you too. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Charles."

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Christmas morning was spent the way Liza liked best, slow and lazy, filled with coffee and cookies. She loved Christmas with Caitlin as a child, but now that her daughter had matured, she definitely enjoyed the slow pace more than the early morning destruction of the living room with tissue paper ripped to shreds. This morning was perfect, sharing coffee with Maggie and Caitlin, exchanging gifts one by one, nibbling on cinnamon rolls and spending quality time with her two favorite women.

Charles sent her a few texts in the morning, mostly pictures of the girls tearing into their presents, including one of Bianca pouring over the art set that Liza had gotten her and one of both girls wearing the hats and scarves that Liza had made for them. That one was definitely a keeper.

When Maggie kicked them out of the kitchen, Liza decided to pluck up the courage to talk to Caitlin about Charles. It took some persuading to get Caitlin out of her pajamas, but she finally dragged her outside for a walk. It was sunny and the street was the quietest Liza had ever seen it. As their feet crunched across the fresh snow, Liza told Caitlin everything. How she'd pretended to be younger in order to get her job, how the man she had met at the Katz's holiday party was actually Liza's boss, and now, her boyfriend. Caitlin took it surprisingly well and even paused to hug Liza, telling her that she was happy that her mom was happy. They walked back into the apartment arm in arm, the smell of Maggie's lasagna hitting their noses before the door was even cracked.

Sometime mid afternoon her phone buzzed with Charles' videochat and she almost dropped her phone as she scrambled to answer it. The sight of his face as it hit the screen was like a jolt of electricity to her body.

"Hey baby," Charles smiled at the screen, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas! It's good to see your face." She could see that he was sitting outside, maybe on a deck, a pair of sunglasses hooked onto his shirt. His face was covered in stubble, and she wanted to reach through the phone and rub her hand across his face.

"Yours too." Charles grinned down at her as he sat up in the deck chair. He'd wanted a little privacy for their chat, away from nosy in laws and his soon to be ex wife. Liza's hair was loose around her shoulders and he wanted to nuzzle his head into her neck and run his hands through her hair.

"It looked like the girls had a good morning."

"Oh, they were thoroughly spoiled. I think Pauline and her parents felt a little guilty, and they overdid it a little. It's good though – Pauline can take some of the stuff to her new apartment so they don't have to drag things back and forth all the time."

"That's good."

"They loved your presents, by the way." He grinned at the memory of the girls running around in their knitted hats on the beach after breakfast. Bianca still refused to take hers off. Liza's smile widened, warming his heart. He loved how much she genuinely cared for his kids and hoped that he would soon be able to get to know her daughter a little bit better.

"I'm glad."

"You know," Charles leaned forward in the chair, shifting away from the sun. "I never got you a Christmas present."

A slow smile crossed Liza's face, her eyes shining bright. "You gave me you, Charles. I couldn't imagine a better gift." They quieted for a moment, smiling at each other before the silence was broken by the screen door on the deck opening around the corner and Charles heard Pauline's father climb down the steps after the girls.

"I, uh, should probably go. It's getting a little crowded out here."

"Okay. Have a wonderful afternoon with the girls."

"I wish I had all my girls with me. Next year, maybe." Charles grinned at the look on Liza's face. Surprise, but happy surprise, the smile playing across her lips reflected in her eyes.

"I like that idea. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, beautiful. I'll call you tomorrow."

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The next five days were some of the most relaxing but longest days that Liza could remember. She lounged around and caught up on her reading, took Caitlin shopping, had girls night with Maggie. She went out to dinner with Kelsey and Lauren and Lauren's mom and treated herself to a spa day on New Years Eve. Mani/pedi, facial, massage, hair trimmed and blown out, the works. She hadn't treated herself to such luxury in a long time, but she left the spa feeling refreshed and ready for a certain fellow to come back to town.

She rang in the New Year down the street at East River Bar with all of her closest friends. Caitlin was visiting some Vassar friends with Rose, so Liza spent the night with Maggie, Lauren, Kelsey and Josh, who had arrived home from Virginia a few days earlier. She knew she was going to have to tell him about Charles at some point, but now was definitely not the time. Maggie was the only one that knew about their relationship, and she intended to keep it that way for the time being.

Charles didn't fly back into New York with the girls until evening on the first, so they agreed that Liza would come over on Friday for dinner with the girls and Charles would formally introduce her to them as his girlfriend. The next day and a half was spent in bitter anticipation and when she received a text from Charles late afternoon on Friday saying _I can't wait to see you, come over now_, she practically bounded out the door, giddy as a schoolgirl. Maggie watched her leave, laughing as the door swung shut behind her.

Liza knocked on the door to the brownstone, shivering as a burst of cold swept town the street and thanking herself for dressing warmly in jeans, boots and the cashmere sweater that Maggie had gotten her for Christmas. The door swung open almost immediately and Charles filled the doorframe, looking delicious in dark wash jeans and a gray sweater. Liza felt her face break into a huge smile as he locked eyes with her.

"Hey, you," he said softly, smiling and reaching down to take her hand and pull her into the foyer. "The girls missed you."

Liza giggled as he leaned down and kissed her gently. "Just the girls?"

"I might've missed you too. A little bit. Or a lot." Charles slid her jacket off her shoulders and hung it up on a nearby coatrack before wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her again.

"I missed you too. A lot." Reaching up, Liza ran a hand across the beard that was covering half of his face. "Did you forget to pack a razor?"

Chuckling, Charles took her hand and guided her upstairs to where she could hear the girls playing. "The girls dared me to do it. Their grandpa has a beard and they wanted to see me with one. Do you like it?"

"Hmmmm. I don't know. Further kissing may be required before I issue my final decision." Charles paused halfway up the stairs, turning and pulling Liza up onto his step and leaned in, pressing her against the railing as he nuzzled his face against hers before leaning down to kiss her with more passion than either of his earlier kisses. Liza made a quiet sound of contentment that stirred up all sorts of feelings within Charles. If only his kids weren't there, well, they'd be halfway to the bedroom by now.

"Down, boy." Liza whispered, her face flushed as she reluctantly pulled away from Charles. They climbed the rest of the steps to the second floor, where Bianca and Nicole were sitting at the dining table, crayons and coloring books spread out in front of them.

"Hey girls, come see who came over for a visit." Charles called out as they stepped off of the steps and Liza stepped out from behind Charles, grinning broadly at the two girls.

"Liza!" Both girls jumped up, running to hug their favorite babysitter. She bent down, sweeping both girls into her arms and Charles placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her from toppling backwards.

"It's so good to see you two! I missed you!"

"Thank you for our presents!" Nicole smiled bashfully at her.

"Of course! I'm glad you liked them!" Liza stood, setting her purse by the stairs as the girls started to tug her towards the third floor.

"Come see what Daddy got us. It's in Nicole's playroom." Liza glanced back at Charles as the girls pulled her up the stairs, flashing him a wide smile. Charles had a flash of déjà vu as he remembered the first time Liza came over, the smile she had given him as his girls had pulled her up the stairs. He remembered wishing that he could stay and spend the evening with the three of them. And now, he thought, as he ascended the steps behind them, now he finally could.

An hour later the girls had finally tired of showing Liza the gigantic dollhouse that Charles had bought and assembled for them, and the girls were collapsed into beanbag chairs on the floor while Charles and Liza sat on the couch in Nicole's playroom. While Bianca's playroom was constantly in a state of disaster, Nicole's room was pristine. She was definitely the quieter and more collected of the two. Her toys were put away neatly, the room mostly filled with books. A small white desk stood in the corner, the pens and paper stacked neatly atop the desk.

"Girls," Charles started, as the conversation lulled. "I want to talk to you about something." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Do you remember last week when I told you that I was dating a new lady?" Both girls nodded, and Charles smiled gently and reached out to take Liza's hand in his. "Well, Liza is the lady I'm seeing. She's going to start spending more time here, with us, if that's okay with you two."

Nicole broke out into a big smile and Bianca jumped up and hugged Liza. Nicole followed suit, leaning in and hugging Liza tightly. "I hoped it was you." She whispered in Liza's ear, before pulling away and hugging her father.

Liza wiped a tear away from her eye, squeezing Charles' hand reassuringly. She had been so worried that the girls would react badly, that they would think that Liza was trying to replace Pauline.

"I'm glad you two are okay with this." Charles pulled both of his daughters into a hug as he rose before holding his hand out to Liza. "We're going to go down and start working on dinner. I'll call you when it's ready."

"That went well, I think." Liza started as they made their way down to the kitchen.

"It did," Charles poured them each a glass of wine. "I have to admit, I was nervous. These past few years haven't been easy for them. For any of us. I just worry about how they're handling it, you know, under the surface." Charles leaned against the kitchen counter, sighing heavily. "It's hard to know if I'm doing the right thing or not. I'm constantly second guessing myself."

Liza stepped towards him, leaning against him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "You're doing an amazing job with the girls, Charles. Seriously. You should be proud. Of them and of yourself." She ran her hand gently through his hair. "You're doing everything you can, and you're doing it right. They love you so much."

Charles smiled down at her as he wrapped his arms around her, slipping one hand into the back pocket of her jeans. She had such a calming presence in his life – everything seemed a little better just by having her around. "Thank you," he whispered, lowering his mouth to hers, kissing her gently. Liza giggled as his beard scratched her face and he chuckled through the kiss, pulling away reluctantly.

"We really should get dinner started,"

They fell into a comfortable rhythm over the course of the next hour. Liza slipped her shoes off as she sipped wine and explored the kitchen, pulling together a tossed salad as Charles made spaghetti. They laughed and joked and drank and kissed as they regaled each other with stories of the past two weeks before finally calling the girls down for dinner.

Liza left smiling a few hours later, lingering on the doorstep kissing Charles until they both started to shiver. They both wanted her to stay overnight, but agreed that it would be better to ease the girls into things. Charles was taking the girls to his cousin's house in Westchester for the weekend, so they wouldn't see each other until Monday morning at work. She glanced back at him as she stepped onto the sidewalk to meet the car he had called for her and thought she might melt at the look he was giving her. Happiness, desire, friendship, love. It was all there. Everything she wanted and now, everything she had.


	23. Chapter 23

Charles rocked back and forth on his heels, anxiously watching the elevator buttons light up and quietly sighing every time the elevator paused to unload or pick someone up. It was his first day back at the office in two weeks. His whole world had changed in those two weeks, had been turned completely upside down. Or maybe, he thought, as the elevator inched closer to the Empirical floor, his world had finally righted itself. Either way, he was filled with nervous anticipation. He knew they needed to be discreet at the office but it was going to be difficult to focus on anything else but her.

Finally the elevator came to his floor and he stepped out into the hallway. It had been a turbulent few years in the publishing world, but he always loved coming to work. He took pride in running his family's company, through thick and thin. And now that he had Liza by his side, well, he only hoped things were looking up. If only he could come up with a miracle investor to keep them afloat for more than the next few months.

He rounded the corner, running almost immediately into Kelsey, Diana and Liza, who were standing and conversing outside Kelsey's office.

Liza spun around as she saw Diana's eyebrows raise and felt that now familiar jolt of warmth shoot through her body as she saw Charles come around the corner, a small smile on his still bearded face. She'd teased him about it mercilessly on Friday night and was hoping she could persuade him to shave it off sometime this week.

"Happy New Year to you all." He glanced at the three of them, his eyes lingering on Liza a moment longer. She was wearing a white dress and tall tan boots and looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Very, uh, becoming, Charles." Diana gestured to his beard, a slight smirk playing across her lips. Both Liza and Charles had noticed that she seemed much more at ease around him now that she had Enzo in her life, for which they were both eternally grateful.

Charles ignored her comment, turning his attention to his former assistant. "Kelsey, I read the Jake Devereaux chapters. They're excellent. You should be proud of the work you did."

"Really?" Kelsey's eyes lit up.

"Candid, funny. Great job."

"Thank you so much."

"Diana, I'll send you the file. You have to read it. I think this one is worth rushing to publication. I, uh, I think it's going to be big."

"Then I can't wait. Oh, by the way, Sophia Bell is coming in this morning to pitch her book. She's like the new Dr. Ruth."

"Great," Charles shifted his briefcase to his other hand. "I will, uh, see you all at the morning meeting." He glanced quickly at Liza, a knowing smile on both their faces, before crossing the bullpen to his office, leaving the three women to resume their conversation.

Liza paid little attention to whatever Diana and Kelsey were saying as she watched Charles cross the bullpen headed towards his office. She watched as he shrugged off his coat, hanging it on the back of his door. He paused in the doorway, catching her eye, a grin spreading across his face. He jerked his head towards his office ever so slightly, and Liza excused herself, mumbling something about needing to get a coffee. She stopped, fixing a cup for her and one for Charles as well.

Pausing outside his office, Liza pushed the door open with her forearm, a smile spreading across her face as she met Charles' eyes as he leaned back in his chair behind his desk.

"Hi," Charles said softly, reaching over to take the steaming cup of coffee from Liza and making sure to graze her fingers with his. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"Can I see you tonight?" Pauline had already called him this morning, asking if she could pick the girls up from school and take them out to dinner, meaning he could have a few hours alone with Liza.

"Of course."

"Good. I'm going to take you out on a proper date, Ms. Miller."

Liza blushed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, really?" She said softly, crossing her legs and smiling triumphantly when she saw Charles's gaze drop down to her legs.

"Oh, yes. I need to make up for lost time, so I'm planning on romancing the hell out of you."

Liza didn't say anything immediately, but her eyes sparkled in a way that made his heart beat wildly. "So," he started, the pragmatic within him needing to make a plan. "I'll leave first, and uh, I'll wait for you in front of the public library. 7:30."

"Okay." They gazed at each other for a moment, basking in each other's presence until a knock at the door broke them both out of their reverie.

"Sophia Bell is in the conference room." Diana poked her head through the doorway. Liza jumped up, startled by her boss's presence.

"Yeah, I was just telling Charles that. So I guess that's it." She passed behind Diana, turning to wink at Charles behind Diana's back as he stood to follow suite.

She led the way into the conference room, quietly edging in front of Diana to take the chair next to Charles. She settled in next to him, scooting her chair a little closer. Sophia, a beautiful Italian woman, made her introductions and dove right into her presentation.

"For too long, couples have been told that open communication is the key to an enduring relationship. Now they'll know the truth. Love is actually fueled by mystery." Charles shifted in his chair, angling slightly towards Liza. He reached under the desk and lightly trailed his finger over her thigh. He saw her swallow and blush slightly, and traced his finger higher, along and under the hem of her dress as Sophia continued.

"Mystery is where the erotic thrives. A healthy relationship should feel a little illicit." Emboldened by these words, Liza shifted again so that her leg was pressed against his underneath the table. She saw him breathe in sharply, and smirked. She could feel her heart beating faster and had to take a deep breathe.

"Then the question is, what's the line between dangerous and destructive?" Sophia paused for a moment, and Diana impatiently interjected.

"What? What is it?"

Sophia smiled at her and crossed her hands, "Chapter 12."

Everyone laughed, and Charles reluctantly pulled his hand away, but not before resting it on Liza's thigh and squeezing lightly. Liza sat up a little straighter, crossing her legs. "But doesn't real intimacy come from ultimately requiring real honestly and openness?", she asked, with a sidelong glance at Charles.

"No. Think of intimacy as a place instead of a condition." Sophia leaned on the table. "A place that you go to only with your partner. And it's secluded, it's private, it's like your bubble. And when you are together in that bubble, then what is more exciting than sharing your secrets?" She stepped back and smiled out at the room, seemingly satisfied that she had peaked their interest. Charles stood and shook her hand.

"Thank you so much for coming in. You'll be hearing from us soon." He filed out and everyone followed suite, heading to their respective offices. He followed Liza and Kelsey out of the room, reaching out to trace a finger along Liza's back as he passed behind her.

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"That. Was. Amazing." Liza sighed happily as she and Charles walked back through Battery Park hand in hand. They'd strolled through the park, which was almost empty on this cold January night, pausing to kiss a few times as he had led her to the Sea Glass Carousel, which had been beautiful and magical and romantic.

"I'm glad you liked it." Charles wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him as they headed back out of the park. He wished he had more time with her, but Pauline was due to drop the girls off within the hour and they had just enough time to take Liza home before he needed to be back at the brownstone.

"I loved it," Liza sighed contentedly, slipping her arm into his jacket and around his waist. It was a frigid January night and she wanted to stay as close to the heat radiating off of Charles' body as possible. They walked in comfortable silence towards the black town car idling just outside the entrance to the park, perfectly content to just be together in their bubble, whether it was for 20 minutes or 2 hours.

Climbing into the town car after Liza, Charles rested his hand on her knee as she leaned her head against his shoulders, the scent of shampoo filling his nostrils. He smiled to himself, but was inwardly groaning at the subject he had been putting off all night.

"So, I think you should know that I'm pretty sure that Pauline knows about us."

Liza sat up, turning her face towards him. "What? How?"

"Well, she overheard me talking to you on the phone one night while we were in Florida. I mean, she didn't hear me say your name, specifically, but she knows that I'm seeing someone. We had a bit of a disagreement about it."

"Well, you're getting divorced. She needs to get used to the fact that you've moved on. I know it's not easy, but she still needs to wrap her head around it."

"I know. I just wanted you to be aware. I haven't told her that it's you that I'm seeing, but it's only a matter of time before she figures it out. I should tell her. She got pretty upset when the girls opened your presents on Christmas morning, so maybe on some level she already knows."

"Maybe," Liza paused, debating whether to say what she wanted to say. "Charles, I don't want you to worry about it blowing back on me. She has a right to know who is spending time with her kids. Don't hold off telling her because you want to protect my feelings. I'm a grown woman, I can handle myself."

"I know you can." He reached over and squeezed her hand as they started to weave through the streets of Brooklyn. "I just want to stay in our bubble as long as possible."

"Me too," Liza said softly, tilting her head up to kiss him gently, her hand running over his beard. "You need to shave," she whispered, giggling slightly as he nuzzled his face against hers, his beard scratching her cheek.

"Anything for you, my dear." He sighed as the car pulled up outside her loft and begrudgingly he stepped out, holding the door open for Liza. Hand in hand they walked to the steps, where she climbed onto the first step and turned, her eyes level with his.

"I had a wonderful time tonight," she said, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders.

"Me too. Will you come over tomorrow? We can do dinner with the girls and," he paused, his eyes darkening just a tad, "Maybe you can stay over?"

"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." Smiling, she leaned in, her lips melding with his as they swayed on the spot, his touch making her knees weak. If his hands weren't firmly planted on her hips, she thought she just might melt into a puddle on her front steps.

"Okay, must go," Charles said quietly, his breath hot against her cheek before he leaned in to kiss her again. "I'm going now."

Liza giggled, pushing him back playfully. "Go. Give the girls hugs for me. I'll see you in the morning." She loved that she got to spend her days and her nights with him. It made getting up for a job she loved even easier.

Charles nodded, turning to smile one last time before getting into the car. Liza turned to go inside when her phone vibrated. Somehow, she just knew what the message said before she opened it.

_I miss you already. X, Charles_

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The next afternoon Liza slipped away from Kelsey and Diana, huddled together at the coffee bar. The text from Charles had caught her off guard, and she could feel her heart beating faster as she headed down the hallway towards the doorway to the security stairwell. She turned quickly, glancing around to see if anyone was watching her. Kelsey stood next to Diana still, who was wafting her hand over the coffee carafe in a vain attempt to inhale some caffeine. All clear.

"Down here." Liza peaked over the railing, looking down at Charles leaning against the wall on the landing below. A smirk played across his lips as he glanced up at her. "Get over here."

"What's this about, Mr. Brooks?" Liza said coyly as she stepped down to the landing, giggling as Charles reached out and tugged on the blazer she was wearing, pulling her flush against him.

"It's about this," He said huskily, turning her on the spot and pressing her back against the wall as his lips crushed against her, his tongue demanding entry into her mouth. He pulled away, moving down to her neck. "I've been thinking about doing this all morning."

"Oh yeah?" Liza asked, pushing her hips up against him as she wrapped one hand in his hair. "And here I thought you were all work and no play at the office."

"I think a good work life balance requires a little bit of play at the office," he responded, his voice muffled as his hands slide down her body, one reaching under her dress to run over her upper thigh. Truthfully, he had had every intention of staying professional at the office, but he hadn't been able to think of anything but Liza. She was like a high to him, and he couldn't get enough.

Liza mewled underneath him, and he pushed his body up against hers, grinding into her hips. He kept her mouth covered with his as his hand slid down her body and under her skirt. Liza slipped her hand between them and deftly unbuckled the belt on his trousers and slipped her hand inside. Charles growled, biting down on her lower lip as she took ahold of him. His hand continued to roam under her skirt and his fingers found the edge of her panties. Liza gasped as his fingers dipped inside her and jumped a moment later as her phone started vibrating in her pocket. Sighing, she pulled her phone out with her free hand. Kelsey was calling her.

"What is it Kelsey?" She answered, struggling to keep her voice level as Charles continued his ministrations on her, smirking all the while.

"Where are you? You disappeared and we need to leave for the meeting."

All thought of the Hello Sunshine meeting had gone from her head. "I'm in the bathroom." She bit her lip to keep from gasping. "I'll just meet you downstairs in five."

"Hurry up!"

Charles pulled away from her as she slipped her phone back in her pocket. "I guess that's what I get for trying to have my way with you in the staircase."

"We'll continue this tonight?"

"Absolutely. I'll send a car for you to the loft after work."

"You don't have to do that. I can take the subway."

"I want to." Charles pulled her to him gently, grazing her lips with his. "Go, you don't want to keep Diana waiting."

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"So," Liza started, slipping down onto the couch next to Charles later that evening. "I saw Pauline today. She knows."

It was just after 9:00 and the girls were finally asleep. They'd been on Liza like white on rice since she had walked in the door, so she hadn't had a chance to talk to Charles about the disastrous lunch with Pauline today.

"I know. I saw her today as well. She wants to make a deal." Charles leaned back on the couch, the tension in his face visible. Liza knew that this was upsetting to him, and she hated that she was playing a part in this duress.

"What kind of deal?" She asked softly, tucking her legs up underneath her and leaning against him.

"She says she will keep quiet about us, and in return she wants the option to her sequel back. She says she can get double at Random House." He took a sip of his whiskey before setting the glass back on the end table. He watched as a bead of condensation slid down the edge of the glass, pooling on the marble coaster. For some reason, he couldn't quite meet Liza's eyes.

"Well that can't work. What would we tell Kelsey?"

"I'll tell her it's part of my divorce settlement. Which is true."

Liza lifted her hand to caress his cheek, forcing him to meet her eyes. He smiled weakly back at her and she shifted suddenly, so that she was straddling him, her legs on either side of his. "I can't believe you're doing all of this for me."

"Us. I'm doing this for us, Liza. You and me. I just want to stay in our bubble as long as we can." He ran his hands along the outside of her legs, across the soft material of her leggings. He liked seeing dressed down Liza, walking around the house barefoot, her hair in a messy knot, her face bare of makeup. The real, unfiltered Liza.

"I just have one question."

"What's that?"

"Do bubbles have to be so scratchy?" Liza giggled, her hand running over his beard.

"Oh, so the bubble has conditions, now?"

"Just a small one."

Charles smiled at her, an idea coming to him. "Well, why don't we go get rid of it?" He gripped her hips as he stood up and Liza had to bite back a giggle as she wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms gripping his shoulders. Together they climbed the stairs, laughing quietly as to not wake the barely asleep children down the hall. Charles used Liza's back to push open his bedroom door and into the master bathroom, setting her down on the cool marble countertop. Liza watched as Charles pulled his leather shaving kit out of a cabinet, setting it on the counter beside her.

"Let me do it." Liza leaned over, placing her hand on top of Charles' as he unzipped the kit. He raised his eyebrows at her, the seductive smile on her face creating a warm sensation in his stomach.

"Alright," he consented, a smirk twitching at his lips as she hopped down off the counter and pushed him down onto a nearby stool. She leaned over him, her hair falling into his face as she unbuttoned his shirt, and he couldn't help but run his hands up and down her sides. How long he had wished for her, wished for this, and part of him still couldn't believe that he had her.

"Down boy," she chastised him, swatting his hand away from her hip as she pushed his shirt off of his shoulders and draped a towel across his shoulders. "Lean back," she whispered in his ear, planting a kiss on the side of his face as she turned on the warm water and set out the razor, brush and emptied shaving cream into the metal dish.

"Close your eyes," Liza instructed, running a warm, wet washcloth across his face.

"Yes ma'am."

"Call me ma'am one more time and you won't be getting any tonight, I can promise you that."

Charles chuckled and raised his hands in defeat. "Sincerest apologies."

"Shush. I'm trying to focus." She bit her lip in concentration as she dipped the badger hair brush into the foam before bringing it to his face, coating his cheeks and jaw in the white liquid. She had only done this a couple of times for David when they had first been married. She wasn't going to mention that to Charles.

She leaned over him, one hand pulling the skin taut as she moved slowly, dragging the razor down across his jaw. She quickly gave up on keeping Charles from putting his hands on her every time she moved within arms reach and it only took a few minutes before her shirt was lying on the bathroom floor.

"You keep this up and I'll end up cutting you," she threatened, rinsing his face off to inspect her work.

"I think it'd probably be worth it," Charles sat up, running his hand across his freshly shaven face. "I'm impressed." He stood, helping her tidy up the mess before coming up behind her and placing his hands firmly on her hips. "Now," he said huskily, pushing her hair to one shoulder and lowering his lips to her neck. "For the matter of your payment.."

"Oh," Liza said softly, sighing contentedly. "I'm sure we can work something out."

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The next morning Liza stood at her desk preparing for the morning meeting and smiling to herself as she remembered the evening before. Her limbs ached in a satisfying way that indicated that she wouldn't be forgetting the reason why her muscles were so sore anytime soon.

"Get me three almonds and some hot water with lemon." Diana's voice behind her caused her to jump, the manuscript in her hand falling to her desk with a loud thump. Diana raised her eyebrows, something behind Liza catching her eye.

Liza turned to see Charles walking in, his face bare, wearing the suit she had picked out for him only an hour ago as he had run around the brownstone getting the girls out the door. She loved seeing him domestic, making frozen waffles and packing lunches. It was a side of him that no one else saw, and she loved that he was opening that part of his life up to her.

"He shaved." Diana said quietly, her eyes following him. Charles caught her eye and smiled pleasantly. "Morning, Diana. Liza." His eyes lingered for just a moment before he continued to his office.

"Wonder who he did that for?" Diana arched her eyebrows again, intrigued, before turning and heading back into her office. Liza sat back down at her desk, knowing that the smile on her face wouldn't be going away anytime soon.


	24. Chapter 24

Liza set her overnight bag inside the door to Charles' bedroom, slipping her shoes off and setting them carefully next to her bag. She'd spent more than a few nights here but still felt a bit out of place in the grandiose, elegantly decorated home. The brownstone had been purchased by Charles' grandfather and passed down to his father and was filled with gilded frames, polished floors and antique furniture. A far cry from the bare brick walls and exposed ceiling of the loft. She wanted to feel comfortable here, to show Charles that she felt comfortable here, and resolved to make more of an effort.

Charles was downstairs cooking and the smell of garlic and cheese wafted up the stairs, making Liza's stomach groan loudly. She'd been run ragged by Diana all day, barely having time to eat an apple and down a coffee on her "lunch break". Smiling to herself, she headed back downstairs and indulged her inner child by sliding her socked feet on the shiny hardwood floor.

"Whatever you're making, it smells delicious," she said as she entered the kitchen, smiling at the sight of him cooking. She loved seeing this relaxed side of him. It was a part of him that hardly anyone else got a peek at, and she loved that she was getting to know this part of him. He stood behind the counter, rereading a recipe from his phone. He'd changed into a blue sweater and black jeans and stood barefoot on the cool tile. He smiled back at her, sliding a glass of red wine towards her.

"I hope you like cacio e pepe," He said, a little nervously. He hadn't cooked a meal for a woman in years, save for his daughters, who were thankfully very easy to please in that department. He felt a nervous jolt as he realized he didn't know if Liza was allergic to anything in particular, or if she didn't like any specific kind of food. Thankfully, she grinned broadly as she topped off his glass of wine.

"I love it," she said, setting the bottle back down and reaching over to squeeze his hand. "And I love that you can cook."

"I know four recipes, and they all fall under the header: easy dinners for kids." He'd mastered this dish, and the girls loved it, especially with an extra heavy dose of parmesan cheese.

Liza chuckled, taking a sip of her wine and swiping an olive from the dish in between them. Her eyes daring, she grabbed another one and tossed it at Charles, who caught it in his teeth, smirking, as he bit down.

"How are the girls?"

"They're, um, with their mom in her new apartment." He felt weird bringing Pauline up in front of Liza, which he knew was silly – the two women had worked together for months. But Pauline's charade at the lunch with Diana and Liza the past week had visibly shaken Liza.

"Is it nearby?" Liza asked, trying to maintain a nonchalant tone to her voice.

"Yes. Certainly cheaper to have a wife abandon you than one back in town divorcing you," He said wryly, unable to keep the bitter tone out of his voice. "But I will spare you the details."

Liza didn't press him for details, opting to stand and stretch, smiling to herself as she watched Charles' eyes drop to where her sweater rose, exposing a few inches of her stomach. Moving around the counter she leaned into Charles, her body pressed lightly against the muscular arm bracing the countertop. "Will this help?" She leaned in, kissing him lightly and letting him lean into her, intensifying the kiss. He'd shaved the beard, but his face was covered in stubble and it tickled as he pressed back against her, deepening the kiss before slowly moving away. "So much," he answered, his eyes darkening.

Liza slid a manuscript out of her purse, fishing for a pen and her reading glasses. "If you need me, I am going to be in the study finishing a manuscript." She heaved the stack of pages into one arm, eager to return to the story.

Intrigued, Charles glanced at the cover. "What manuscript?"

"Oh, Calvin Krieger, the editor from Penguin, wrote a book."

"I thought he left the business?"

Liza smiled wryly. "He did. For rehab. The book is a literary memoir about his drug addiction. Like 'Permanent Midnight' or the "Night of the Gun', only set in the world of book publishing."

Charles grinned at the sight of Liza's eyes lighting up as she described the book. He loved seeing her excited about a new find, and part of him missed the job of being an actual editor. Digging through stacks of nothing to find the one diamond in the rough. He banked on this book being a good one – the ones Liza dug into usually were. His soon to be ex-wife's novel included. "Sounds interesting. " He leaned in for another quick kiss. "All right, I will come get you when dinner is ready. The recipe says 20 minutes so uh, give me an hour."

"No rush," Liza said, laughing, as she slid on her reading glasses and picked up her phone and glass of wine.

"I like those." Charles said, gesturing to the glasses perched on her nose.

"They're for reading." Liza tossed her hair over her shoulder, tilting her head.

"Wow. They are very, very sexy." Charles suddenly had images of Liza, the sexy librarian, and felt heat flush through his body.

"Wait till you see the ones I wear for night driving." With a last smile, Liza leaned in to kiss him more, her lips lingering on his for a beat. "Make me dinner!"

Charles shook his head, marveling at her as she headed towards the study at the back of the first floor. He hated seeing her go, but oh, he loved to watch her walk away.

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Tapping his foot anxiously in the back of the black SUV, Charles glanced out the window to search the crowd for Liza. The SUV was idling by the curb a block away from the Empirical office and he was not so patiently waiting for Liza. He wanted to take advantage of the girls being with their mother for the next few hours and had secured a reservation for the two of them at a little French restaurant on the Upper East Side.

While he agreed that keeping their relationship to themselves for the time being was necessary, he hated having to sneak around. The afterhours rendezvous and carefully timed encounters were wearing on his patience. He wanted to be able to walk out of the office hand in hand with Liza, wanted her on his arm at parties and events, wanted to take her out to dinner and introduce her as his girlfriend to everyone they ran into. But, he thought, sighing, he was just going to have to take what he could get.

"Sorry I'm late!" Liza pulled open the door to the SUV and climbed in, bringing in with her a cold gust of January air. "I was just leaving and Diana wouldn't stop talking. Where are we off to?" She asked, settling in against the seat as the driver pulled away from the curb, merging into the city traffic.

Charles lifted an arm and wrapped it around her slim shoulders, pulling her against him. "That's a surprise," he answered, leaning over to kiss Liza's temple.

Liza smiled tranquilly, reaching her hand up to interlace her fingers with his as his hand rested casually against her upper arm. As she turned her head idly towards him, Charles lifted his free hand up to brush a lock of hair out of her face.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured, pressing his lips lightly against hers. Her lips were soft, and tasted faintly of the sugary sweet gummy bears he knew she kept in constant stock in a bag in her desk for an afternoon snack. Liza emitted a quiet, contented moan in response as he deepened the kiss just a bit, conscious of the driver in the front seat. He was still a gentleman after all, even if the thoughts coursing through his head were less than gentlemanlike.

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The pair settled into their seats in the dimly lit restaurant at a cozy table for two. As Liza settled into her seat Charles scanned the room quickly, relieved to not see a familiar face in the shadowy lights of the dining room.

"I don't think I need my glasses, but I might need a flashlight." Liza laughed lightly as the waiter came over and poured two glasses of red, leaving the bottle behind.

Charles watched her as she took a sip of wine and glanced around the room. She'd let her hair out of the updo she had worn all day, and her chestnut locks were falling in waves around her shoulders. She looked a little nervous and Charles wished silently that they were the only two people in the room tonight.

"True," he said quietly, his voice husky as he discretely slid his hand underneath the table, his arm disappearing under the white linen tablecloth. He smirked as Liza gasped when his fingers met the skin of her bare leg, felt his heart beat faster as her eyes darkened and she shifted her chair closer to the table. He traced gentle lines across her upper thigh, ran his palm across smooth, warm skin.

"Charles," Liza whispered, biting her lip, her face flushed. "Someone will see." She got the last bit out in a choked whisper as she felt him tracing the lace pattern on the outside of the panties that she was wearing.

"I don't think I care. Not tonight." He felt Liza move her leg, rubbing her ankle against the inside of his as she took a sip of wine and tried to regain her composure.

"Charles!" A loud voice from across the room jerked them both out of their little trance and they straightened, looking over to see Redmond crossing the room. Liza swore under her breath. She watched Redmond's face as it changed to surprise as he recognized her. "Tall girl." He said slowly, his eyes suspicious.

"Redmond," Charles greeted him, his tone casually and friendly. "What, uh, are you doing here?"

"I live on the Upper East Side. Please don't tell anyone. It's the only way I can escape the gays." Charles chuckled forcibly and Liza matched him, laughing lightly. "This is Dell, my trainer." Redmond tilted his head towards the muscular man standing behind him. "So what are you two doing here?" He was like a dog with a bone, not willing to let anything go.

Charles spoke up before Liza could say anything. "Oh, uh, I'm here. Alone. This is where I come to read." It was weak, and he cursed himself silently as he watched Redmond arch a carefully manicured eyebrow. "And Liza was just dropping something off."

"Yes, I was, um, I was just bringing Mr. Brooks, um, this manuscript." Desperate, she pulled the Krieger manuscript out of her purse and slid it across the table to Charles.

Charles muttered a hasty thanks to her, hoping that Redmond would just leave and go to his own table so that they could slip out.

Redmond, ever the nosy book agent, leaned over to read the title. "The Calvin Krieger manuscript? But our mean little friend, Kelsey, already passed on that."

This caught Charles by surprise, and he turned back to Liza, "What? Why? And why are you having me read something that we passed on?"

Liza's eyes darted down nervously. "I thought I liked it. But Redmond's right, Kelsey passed. So I am sorry to have wasted your time." Liza stood, grabbing her bag, sensing that someone needed to exit in order for Redmond to believe their weak story and to end this excruciating encounter. She said a hasty goodbye to Charles and Redmond before heading to the entrance.

Liza stood on the sidewalk outside, her purse between her feet as she slipped on her jacket. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but only because she was getting so frustrated. All she had wanted to do was have a night out with Charles, and they couldn't even have that. She felt her cell phone buzz in her bag and she knelt down to pick it up.

_I'm sorry. I panicked. _So did I, Charles, she thought, so did I. Spotting his driver in the black SUV across the street, Liza typed back a quick message to him that she would wait in the car for him. She didn't care how long it would take. She would wait for him.

20 minutes later the back door to the SUV opened and Charles slid in, a takeout container in hand. Liza was leaning her head against the tinted window and turned her head towards him, smiling briefly.

"I'm so sorry, Liza. I panicked." He felt immensely guilty, the feeling worsening as he saw the sad, disappointed look on Liza's face.

"It's alright," she responded weakly.

"No it's not. I'm sorry that happened. I just, I don't know how to handle this situation. I hate that it's so complicated."

Now it was Liza's turn to feel guilty. A big complication in their relationship was that the outside world thought that she was 15 years his junior, instead of the actual two year gap. "I know, and I know that it's my fault."

"It's nobody's fault." Charles reached over and ran a hand over her cheek, smoothing back her hair. "We just need to figure out what works for us, you know?"

Liza nodded, nuzzling her cheek into his warm hand. Charles leaned forward and started to instruct the driver to take them back to the brownstone, but Liza cut him off. "Can he just take me back home? To my apartment? I'm really tired." Charles' face fell, but he nodded, rattling off her address to the driver before settling into the seat next to her and pulling her close. They would figure this out. They had to.

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Charles stepped into the hall for the Glamour awards, feeling instantly a bit out of place. The rooms were filled to the brim with women in fancy dresses and it was ridiculously loud. He stood to the side, his eyes adjusting to the change in light as he scanned the room for Liza. She was always easy to spot, usually a head taller than the other women in the room. He didn't see her. He'd seen her only briefly when they crossed paths a few minutes ago. He wanted to talk to her about her telling Kelsey about their relationship. He hadn't been prepared when Kelsey had barged into his office earlier and practically blackmailed him. And he didn't like it.

He saw a flash of glittery red out of the corner of his eye and saw Kelsey tottering towards the bar. He crossed the space between them in a few strides, coming to lean against the bar beside her. She jumped a little when she saw him, but composed her face quickly to look impassively at her boss.

"Congratulations, Kelsey," he said coolly, after ordering a scotch on the rocks from the bartender. "This is quite an event."

"It is." They each sipped their drinks quietly. Charles reflected for a moment, thinking about the powerhouse of a young woman standing next to him. They really weren't too different at their core. Strong-willed, desperate to prove themselves to their peers, and not afraid to get a little cutthroat if the situation necessitated it. Charles remembered picking her resume out of the assistant pool a few years back. As green as could be, fresh out of NYU, thirsty to prove her worth. And she had. She was a talented editor, even if he didn't always approve of her methods.

"I want you to know that Calvin Krieger wanted to work with Millennial so badly that he is basically doing the book for free."

"He always was desperate."

Charles felt that tug of exasperation that sometimes accompanied a conversation with Kelsey, but he kept moving forward. "Also, I am giving you the money for Claw." He paused, looking down at Kelsey seriously. "Because I believe in your judgment."

"Thank you, Charles," Kelsey smiled up at him. "I will make that book a best-seller."

"I know." He took a deep breath. "But going forward, what I do in this company and in my life is my business. Because it is my business. Understood?"

"Understood." Nodding demurely, Kelsey stepped away, clearly anxious to escape the scrutinizing glare that Charles was giving her.

Liza stepped back into the crowded room, taking in the view as she smoothed the front of her shimmery pink dress. She wanted to dress cheerful and happy, even if she didn't feel 100% on the inside. She glanced around for Charles, hoping that they could get a few minutes together but knowing that that was an unlikely aspiration. The room was packed, and she spotted Lauren flitting around the room like a caged bird.

Spotting Kelsey coming back from the bar she weaved through the masses to the Empirical table. They hadn't spoken since the Quinn Tyler meeting. Liza hated being on the outs with Kelsey. Their lives were so intertwined, personally and professionally that it made every moment nerve-wracking for Liza. She didn't know how much more she could take. So she slipped into the seat next to Kelsey, fidgeting with the folded napkin in front of her.

A few moments passed before Kelsey spoke up. "So, I guess I should thank you. I got the money for the Quinn Tyler book. You going behind my back actually worked out."

"I did not go behind your back." Liza retorted, her voice sounding harsher than she had intended. "I would never to that," she added, softening her tone. "I wanted to come clean, and you stopped me, remember that? I am lying for us because I want you to succeed as much as you do." She paused, and when Kelsey didn't respond, she pressed on. "But the problem is that I love two people. Charles and I, we're just trying to see if we can make this work. But you have had my back since the day I started, and I have had yours. So, if you are asking me to choose between the two of you, I choose you."

Kelsey looked up and smiled warmly at Liza. "That means a lot, Liza. Thank you." The two women hugged, Liza squeezing the younger woman tightly. Pulling away, Kelsey reached over and squeezed Liza's hand. "So, you love him?" She asked quietly, smiling at Liza. As much as this relationship between Liza and Charles made her nervous, she wanted her friend to be happy.

Liza opened her mouth to answer but Lauren appeared suddenly, talking too fast for Liza to comprehend what the girl was saying as she yanked furiously on Kelsey's arm.

Charles rocked back and forth on his heels across the street from the building entrance, watching the slow stream of people coming out and disappearing into taxis and a steady stream of black SUVs and sedans. He needed to catch a moment with Liza before the night was through, and he was in no rush. Pauline had the girls until the morning.

She appeared suddenly on the curb, looking like an ethereal vision in that shiny pink dress, her hair flowing out behind her. Even with her winter coat on, she seemed to shine. Kelsey, on the other hand, seemed to resemble a giant ball of white fluff wearing that ridiculous white coat. Shaking his head, he grinned when he caught Liza's eye and waved her over.

"Hi." She greeted him, a little breathless. She stepped to the side of the sidewalk so that they were partially obscured by a tree and a parked SUV.

"Seems like you two are going to be okay."

"We are," She paused, hesitant to bring up the subject that had them both on pins and needles. "But you need to know that Kelsey is a priority of mine. Personally and professionally. We're friends and we're partners in this job, and she is a big part of my life.

Charles nodded. "I get it. I just don't want to wait any longer to be with you."

Liza nodded, leaning in to kiss him lightly. "I feel the same way."

"There's just a lot on the table right now with my divorce, with Empirical, so for now, it's important that no one else knows about us."

"I understand. But keeping this relationship a secret, it's not going to be easy."

Charles smiled down at her, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "Nothing worth having comes easy." Liza nodded and sighed when she heard Kelsey calling her name. She tilted her face up to his, kissing him gently before retreating, turning to flash him a knowing smile as she crossed the street.

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"You wanna come up for a drink?" Kelsey asked, pulling Liza out of her thoughts as the SUV pulled up at the curb outside Inkburg.

"Uh, is Josh home?" Liza leaned forward, seeing the second floor apartment lights on.

"Looks like it." Kelsey hiccupped, picking her clutch up off the seat of the car.

"I think I'll pass. I've got someplace I'd rather be. See you tomorrow?"

"Sounds good. And Liza?" She paused as she slid, rather unceremoniously, out of the backseat.

"Yeah?"

"Tell Charles I said hi." Kelsey grinned mischievously as she closed the door.

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Charles tugged off his tie and shrugged off his suit jacket, dumping both on the back of a dining room chair as he slipped off his shoes. He was realizing that he really didn't like coming home to an empty house. It was too quiet, too empty without the sounds of his daughters giggling and running around.

He poured himself a nightcap and climbed the steps downstairs to the kitchen, made a small plate of cheese, crackers and grapes. He only had a couple bites of food at the awards and was starving. He threw some jazz music on, needing something to fill the silence. Just as he sitting down at the kitchen island the doorbell rang, and he bounced back up, crossing his fingers that he knew exactly who was on the other side of the door.

"Hey. I didn't expect to see you here tonight." He swung the door open, letting her step into the house as a cold breeze sent a shiver down his spine.

"I didn't expect to come here tonight." Liza shrugged off her coat and Charles saw that she was still in her dress from earlier. "But I got back to Brooklyn and I realized that the place I really wanted to be was here, with you."

"I like that train of thought." Charles wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, leaning down to kiss her.

"Are the girls here?" Liza asked quietly, her breath warm against his.

"Nope. Won't be back till tomorrow morning."

"I like the sound of that." Liza tilted her head back up to him just as his stomach grumbled loudly, and they both laughed.

"Sorry," Charles shook his head. "I was just getting ready to have a little bedtime snack when you showed up. I've got enough to share."

Liza smiled as she slipped out of her heels. "Thank god. The food there was terrible. I'm famished." She reached down and interlaced her fingers with his, letting him lead the way back to the kitchen. Charles began to settle in at the island as Liza went to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of wine that they had opened the other night with dinner. Smiling mischievously, she reached over and snagged the plate of food away from him, holding it over her head. "I think we should eat this in bed."

"I like the sound of that." He said, repeating her sentiments from the hallway as he knocked back his scotch and turned off the kitchen light, letting Liza lead the way. For he would follow her anywhere.


	25. Chapter 25

Liza settled into her desk, smiling to herself as she powered up her computer and checked her messages. Diana was mercifully at an out of office meeting all morning, so Liza could hopefully get some work done without being screeched at every 5 minutes. She loved Diana, but my god, was she high maintenance.

She and Kelsey would be in an editing meeting with Quinn Tyler at 10, so she had an hour to kill before she had to be in the conference room. As she checked her messages, she saw Charles step out of his office, heading towards the coffee bar. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a blue tie, making his eyes seem even more piercing. She stood, adjusting the belt on her green dress, and walked casually over to him, her hand brushing against his back as she passed behind him to grab a coffee mug.

"Good Morning." She leaned against him as she reached across the counter for a sugar packet and saw him smile out of the corner of her eye.

"Good Morning, Liza." He grazed his hand over hers as he passed her a coffee pod, knowing she preferred a strong dark roast in the morning. "How was your evening?"

They'd spent the evening together for a few hours while the girls were with Pauline. They'd ordered takeout and eaten dinner on the sectional before watching a movie and sharing more than a few kisses. It'd been quiet and casual and completely relaxing.

"Eh, it was okay." She responded teasingly.

Charles chuckled, turning and leaning against the counter. "Just okay? You appeared pretty satisfied last night."

Liza flushed at the recollection of their rendezvous on the couch last night. She couldn't even remember what movie they had been watching. But in her defense, she'd been horizontal with an obstructed view and a very sexy distraction.

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed." Charles smiled down at her as she smoothed her dress again. She always did that when she was a little nervous.

"I, uh, have a meeting I've got to prep for. See you later?"

"I'm counting on it." Charles smirked, retreating to his office.

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Charles rubbed his eyes wearily, pushing his laptop and the financial report displayed across his screen away from him. Too many numbers gave him a headache, but it was a part of the job that he was used to dealing with by now.

"Can I come in?" The voice was preceded by a knock as Quinn pushed open the door to his office.

Welcoming the break, he waved her in. "Absolutely. What can I do for you?"

Quinn straightened, crossing her knees gracefully in her red dress. She was pretty, but she was no Liza. "I just wanted to take a moment and tell you how impressed I am by Kelsey and Liza. They're doing an amazing job, and I know I'm not always the easiest person to work with. But they're handling it well. Liza in particular has some incredible insights and advice."

"She's a pretty fantastic editor."

"She is. A little quirky, but she's good." Quinn said quirky like it was a dirty word, setting Charles on edge. He wasn't in the mood for one of his authors to start picking apart his editors. Especially the editor that was also his girlfriend.

"Is there anything else?" He said, trying to keep the ice out of his tone.

"Actually, there is. I'm flying out tonight to a tech and media conference in Sun Valley." She paused, leaning forward and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I thought you might be interested in coming out with me."

Charles started to protest but Quinn raised a hand. "Just hear me out, okay. It's only for tomorrow and part of Sunday, so you'd be home by the end of the weekend. I think it would be good for you, for your company. Lots of possible investors." She put a lot of emphasis on the last sentence. "Just think about it, okay? You have my number. My jet is leaving at 5:00, if you want to catch a ride."

Quinn stood, leaning over to shake Charles' hand before turning to head out of the office. Charles sat back down, exhaling a heavy breath. He was intrigued, he couldn't deny that, but a sudden trip out of state wasn't exactly what he had had in mind. The girls were spending the weekend with Pauline and he had hoped to spend some quality time with Liza. She would understand….right?

An hour or so later, a light knock came at the door. Charles looked up from his computer, where he had just finished shooting off an email to Diana about going to the conference and booking a flight out this evening. He liked Quinn well enough, but didn't feel like spending several hours on a plane with just her.

He looked up to see Liza standing in the doorway, looking especially pretty in an army green dress. The color brought out the flecks of green in her brown eyes.

"Hey," he said softly as she stepped over the threshold. "Leave the door open." He leaned back in his chair as she sat down across from him, teasing him with the flash of long bare legs as she crossed one over the other. "I'm glad you stopped by. Quinn came in after the meeting to say how impressed she was with you and Kelsey."

Liza rolled her eyes, a slightly annoyed expression blanketing her face. "Mmmhmm. I doubt that's the only reason why." She scribbled something on the notepad in her hand. Charles leaned over the desk, an amused smile playing across his lips.

"You don't have to sit and look like you're taking notes."

Liza looked up at him and smiled, one of those warm, bright smiles that warmed his soul from the inside out. "I'm not. I'm doodling." She held up her notepad, revealing a pen drawing of a giraffe. "He's got sunglasses."

Charles chuckled and shook his head. She was the most youthful yet elegant woman he had ever met. Liza leaned back in her chair, surveying him. "I, um, I think Quinn has a little crush."

"What?"

"She asked about you." Charles watched as Liza glanced down, clearly just a bit uncomfortable.

"What did you say?"

"I couldn't say anything!" Liza said, the exasperation detectable in her tone.

Leaning back in his chair, Charles toyed with the pen in his hand. Quinn was a little flirty, yes, but it was nothing he would ever act on. Liza had to know that.

"Next time it comes up, tell her that divorced moms from Jersey are more my style."

A grin spread across Liza's face, and Charles could feel a matching one spread across his face.

"What do you think about getting out of the city for the weekend?" Liza asked. They could take a drive upstate, hole up in a B & B in a tiny town where no one would recognize them. Where they could walk hand in hand down the street.

"I would love to, Liza, but I've been invited to a conference in Sun Valley." He paused, deciding not to mention who actually invited him.

Liza was momentarily disappointed, but pushed it aside. "Oh, that's so cool! What's it for? Do you have to make a presentation or anything?"

"No, they're, uh, not too interested in hearing from old media these days. But I'm hoping to meet with some possible investors."

Liza stood, smoothing out her dress. She sensed that Charles was holding back, but here was not the place to discuss it. "Well, um, enjoy your weekend. I can't kiss you good-bye, so, just…." She tore off the picture of the giraffe and pressed her lips to it before handing it to Charles.

Charles opened his mouth to say something, but Diana pushed into the room, cutting him off with some talk about the conference. Clearly, she had received his message. He flashed Liza one last desperate smile before turning his attention to his head of marketing.

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Charles collapsed into a deep set leather couch in a lounge at the hotel where the conference was taking place, a hot cup of coffee in hand. He'd been run ragged all morning. Quinn had set up all sorts of introductions and meeting for him, for which he was grateful, but my god, was it exhausting. It was just after 1:00, and he was just escaping the crowds outside. He checked his phone, hoping to see a note from Liza. He'd tried calling her earlier, but she hadn't answered, just texting back a few minutes later that she was at brunch with Caitlin.

He knew that she had gone to the grand reopening of Josh's tattoo studio last night. He knew, with a pang of guilt, because she had told him. He didn't like the thought of her spending time with her ex, but she was adamant that they were just friends. His guilt only grew as he thought about the fact that he hadn't told her who he was in Sun Valley with. Quinn had been snapping pictures and videos all morning, and Charles just prayed to god that he got a chance to talk to Liza before she saw anything. Damn social media, he thought, as he tried calling her again.

"Checking on your girls?"

Charles jumped as Quinn sat down next to him, a little too close for comfort. "Something like that."

Quinn pulled her legs up underneath her, a clearly flirtatious smile on her face. Now that Liza had told him, he couldn't ignore the fact that Quinn was clearly trying to make moves on him.

"I'm really glad you decided to come out this weekend." Quinn rested one arm on the back of the couch, leaning her had against her hand. Charles glanced at her. She was pretty and smart, but she was too brash, too aggressive. Everything about her was sharp, from the way she spoke to the way she dressed to the bright red lipstick perfectly applied. He preferred Liza's softer demeanor, the way she could make him feel at ease with just a glance.

"Yeah, I, uh, made some good contacts. Set up some investor meetings."

"I'm glad we got to spend some time outside of your office. Out of New York. I like you, Charles." Quinn leaned in for a kiss, but Charles jumped off of his seat, causing Quinn to lose her balance as she had been leaning heavily against him.

"I'm, uh, I'm sorry Quinn. I think I was sending you the wrong message. I'm thankful for the invitation to come here this weekend, but it's nothing more than a business opportunity. I'm very happily in a relationship. I'm sorry."

Quinn composed herself quickly. "Ahh, I thought you were single. That's what Kelsey said."

"Well, I tend to keep my personal life private. So I'm sorry for the confusion."

"No apologies necessary. I respect you, Charles, and your business." Quinn nodded politely.

Charles smiled quickly at her before he backed out of the lounge, taking the steps two at a time up to his room. He needed to talk to Liza.

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Liza shut the door to her bedroom a little too hard, taking a shaky breath as she sat down on the edge of her bed. A terrible morning had turned into a shitty afternoon and she was ready to crawl under the covers and ignore the world for the rest of the weekend.

It was bad enough that Caitlin was dating a way too older man. Liza knew all too well how it felt to be in relationship but have to hide it from others – hell, she was living it right now. Caitlin had her whole life ahead of her, yet she was spending her time holed away with this jerk. Time that should be spent studying, or with her friends, or with someone more age appropriate.

She'd finally broken the news to Josh about her and Charles, and the reaction had been less than pleasant. She was already insecure enough in her relationship, and Josh had ripped the band aid off of that particular problem, bringing to light all the issues she had been desperately trying to ignore.

And now Charles was off in Sun Valley with Quinn, doing gods knows what. Why had he kept the fact that he was going to be with Quinn from her? Quinn was intelligent and ambitious and gorgeous – most men would be putty in her hands. She hoped, with an agonizing desperation, that Charles would, and could, resist Quinn. She didn't know how much longer she could do this – keep this relationship a secret – and be able to live with herself at the same time. She knew that it was time to admit some hard truths – to herself, and to her daughter.

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Liza rocked back and forth on her heels, trying to calm her nerves as she watched the cab pull up outside the brownstone. Charles had texted her when he landed back in New York and had asked her to meet him at home.

"Hey!" He jumped out of the cab as it pulled up to the curb and swept Liza into his arms. How he had missed her. He leaned down to kiss her, noticing the sadness in her eyes, in her features. "I missed you, Liza. So much."

"Me too," she said quietly, resting her forehead against his. She'd never be able to deny the warmth and comfort she felt whenever she was in his arms. "But it looked like you had fun in Sun Valley though."

Charles' heart sank deep into his chest as she pulled back. He tightened his grip on her, not wanting her to pull away.

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw you on Quinn's Instagram story, Charles. The two of you looked awfully cozy."

Charles looked down at her, saw the confusion, the hurt in her eyes. She couldn't possibly think that he had cheated on her with Quinn, could she?

"Wait. Do you think I…."

"I don't know what to think Charles. I mean, we barely spoke this weekend, and from the looks of it you clearly spent a lot of time with her."

Sighing and running a hand through his hair, Charles took a step away, paying the taxi driver and pulling Liza over to his steps, where they both sat down on the cool stone.

"Quinn invited me to the conference this weekend. I should have told you. I don't really know why I didn't. I think I wanted to avoid you feeling like this."

Liza's head snapped up. "I'm an adult, Charles. I can deal with my own feelings. And I trust you. You should have told me."

"I know, I'm sorry. But it was entirely business-related." She didn't need to know that Quinn had tried to kiss him.

"She was flirting with you."

"Maybe a little, but I wasn't flirting with her. I only have eyes for you, Liza. I wish you could see that."

"All I saw was this crazy smart and pretty and successful woman spending a lot of time with a guy I'm kind of crazy about. And that just sent me into a dark place.

"She's also flirting with the idea of investing in Empirical. She's mentioned it before and we spent a lot of time last night talking about that."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?"

Charles reached out and took Liza's gloved hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. He hated that she was feeling insecure. "After what happened with Kelsey," he started softly, "I'm trying to keep work and us separate. And I thought that we agreed that we would keep us quiet for now?"

"I know we did, Liza pulled her hand away, slid it back into her pocket. "But I just spent the weekend telling my daughter not to be some guy's secret. That she deserved better. And I don't want to be in a relationship I can't be open about."

"I know that. But," Charles inhaled deeply, "Now is just not the right time. I want the same thing that you do, Liza, but there are things in motion that are bigger than us. The company, my divorce, everything's a mess. It's just not the right time."

Liza stood, her heart aching, and leaned up to kiss Charles as he stood with her. "Call me when it is."


	26. Chapter 26

It'd been almost three weeks since Liza and Charles had slammed the brakes on their relationship, and still, the first thing Liza did when she woke up was check her phone. She'd gotten used to the flirty good morning messages from Charles whenever they spend a night apart. Sometimes it was a simple good morning, other times she woke to a romantic quote or a slightly naughty indication of his plans for their evening. Whatever the message, his words always light a fire in her. A fire, she thought, as she flopped back onto the bed, that she had forced out.

She didn't regret her decision, although she wavered every time she saw him, every time his eyes flickered in her direction. She knew he was hurting – so was she. But she couldn't be a relationship that she had to hide. She needed to set an example for Caitlin, and lying in just about every aspect of her life wasn't what she needed to be teaching her daughter.

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A few hours later, Liza sat gazing at Charles as he led the morning meeting. It was the only time she could get away with watching him, thought she kept eyeing Kelsey out of the corner of her eye, a bemused look on her face. How had she described the overly polite exchange between Liza and Charles – two butlers in love? Appropriate, Liza thought, as she dragged her eyes away from Charles and jotted some notes on the pad in front of her.

"The Frankfurt Book Fair is next week, and this year, I've decided on a show of strength."

The words pulled Liza's attention back to Charles, and she saw the determined look in his eye as Diana protested, the hint of excitement in his smile as he insisted that this would be a "full court press", and that attendance was mandatory.

"So, Frankfurt, huh?" Liza said to Kelsey as they walked out of the conference room, her eyes following Charles across the office until he was out of sight. "Have you ever been?"

"Once. The last time Empirical sent a group over. I was still Charles' assistant at the time." Kelsey sighed as they entered her office. "It's a lot to take in and it can be fun, but don't get to excited. Diana's right, it's pretty much the most charmless city in Europe."

"It can't be that bad. It's still Europe, after all."

"That it is." Kelsey arched an eyebrow as she watched Liza's gaze out the office window as Charles crossed the bullpen to the elevator. "Let's see you try to keep your distance from him now."

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Liza leaned back into her seat on the plane, glancing out the window at the darkened city skyline, the tarmac aglow with lights. The cabin was relatively empty, only a few dozen passengers on the redeye flight from New York to Germany. A few rows back she could hear Zane and Kelsey bickering from across the aisle about god knew what, and she could only assume that Charles was in first class with Diana. She'd give anything for a bed right now, but settled for an empty row and a window seat. At least she'd be able to catch a few hours of sleep once they were in the air. Pulling out a manuscript she was in the midst of reviewing, she settled in for a quiet flight.

"Is this seat taken?"

A shadow fell across the row, and Liza looked up to see Charles smiling down at her, looking casually delectable in jeans and a well worn Yale hoodie.

"Uh, I, uh, I guess not," she stammered, sitting up, the blanket she had covering her lap falling to the ground. "Is this actually your seat?"

Charles flushed slightly as he settled into the seat next to her, leaning down to pick up the scratchy gray blanket and reaching over to hand it back to her. "I may have sweettalked a flight attendant into letting me switch seats."

"I would have thought you'd be up in first class with Diana, not slumming it in business class with the support staff." She said wryly, with a little more snark than intended.

"You're not support staff, Liza. Don't demean yourself by saying things like that. You and Zane and Kelsey, you're the best editors I have. Empirical isn't exactly on a first class budget. Diana paid for her seat upgrade herself." The words came off his tongue a little too sharp, some of his frustration bubbling to the surface.

"Oh." Liza said blankly, falling into silence as the flight attendant announced takeoff and the plane began to taxi down the tarmac. "So," she started slowly. "How have you been?

"Alright, I guess." Charles exhaled loudly, leaning his head against the headrest. "Is this really how it's going to be from now on, Liza? Polite chit chat about the weather. I'm no good at pretending, Liza. And I miss you. I want to be with you." He turned his head to look at her, saw the pain he was feeling reflected in her eyes. "I know you feel the same way. Tell me different and I won't say another word on the matter."

"If I did, I'd be lying. I want to be with you too. It's just too complicated right now. Things are all tangled up."

"Then let's untangle them, Liza." He glanced around, lowered his voice. "I feel like I waited my whole life for you, and I don't want to wait any longer to be with you. Besides the girls, besides the company, you're the most important thing in my life."

"Oh, Charles." Liza sighed, her insides warming at his words. She opened her mouth to speak again, but the plane hit turbulence as her words starting to come to her. Reaching out, she grasped his hand, squeezing hard as the plane shook.

"It's just a little turbulence, Liza. It'll be alright." Charles squeezed her hand reassuringly and reached over to grab the blanket, spreading it over their laps and intertwined hands. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Liza turned her head to gaze into his eyes. "I know you won't. But I think I'll hold on a little bit longer if that's alright."

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36 hours later Liza stood in the hallway outside Charles' hotel room, her breath shaky, her heart beating fast in her chest. She was trying desperately to muster all the resolve she had to make one of the biggest decisions of her life. She knew what she needed to do, had known sitting in that ridiculous burlesque club with some of her closest colleagues and the man that she was fairly certain was the love of her life.

Her heart had broken for him a little bit sitting in the beer hall yesterday, listening to him pour his heart out to her as he gave her a glimpse of all that he had been dealing with. Carrying the burden of trying to keep the company afloat was a weight he shouldn't have to carry alone, and all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and help him carry some of the weight. And maybe, just maybe, she could do just that. Maybe they could take that trip to Paris someday soon. Squaring her shoulders, she stepped up to the door and knocked.

Charles swung the door open, his face breaking into a smile as soon as he saw Liza on the other side of the door, her face ablaze with something he recognized as determination.

"I think I found a way out for you and me. For all of us. Can I come in?"

Charles leaned against the doorframe. "I can't promise I won't try to kiss you."

Liza's eyes lit up as she stepped up to him, the smell of her perfume mixing with the scent of schnapps on her breath. "Me first." And for the first time in what felt like months, she kissed him.

They stumbled back into his dimly lit room, a tangle of legs and arms as they reacquainted themselves with one another. Charles pressed Liza against the back of the door, using the weight of their bodies to slam it shut, one hand in her hair as he ran his hand down her side, his fingers skimming the edge of her dress.

"Charles," she whispered, her voice soft, breathless, her free hand reaching up to rest over his heart.

He paused, leaning his forehead against hers, taking slow and steady breaths to bring his heartbeat back under control. For a long moment they stood paralyzed, drinking in each other with their eyes. It was Liza who broke the spell, slipping from under his arm to look out the window. It was a rainy night, and the streetlamp cast a golden glow on the damp cobblestones. She turned back to him, her features cast in dim shadow. He longed to take her in his arms, yet he wished to study her beauty, memorizing every line and curve of her. But before he could say anything, do anything, she began to speak.

A few minutes later Charles perched on the edge of bed. He had lit a fire while Liza laid out her plans, her thoughts, and a warmth filled the room, a warm glow highlighting her beautiful features.

"You at Plaza? That's a lot to wrap my head around." More than a lot. He couldn't imagine not having her at the office.

"It's not just about you and me, Charles." Liza said, stepping up to him and placing her hands on his shoulders. "It's what my lie is doing to Kelsey. If I'm gone, she can breathe a little easier."

"But," he began, the pragmatic businessman taking over his thoughts. "Millennial is our biggest asset. Will it be as strong without you?"

"Kelsey's the star. You and I both know that. You saw something in her a year before I got here, and she delivered. It's her imprint."

"I'm not so sure."

Liza leaned in closer to him, running her hands through his brown hair. "Plus, not being together during working hours allows for us to be together after hours." She kissed his temple and pulled back, smiling. "And we're pretty good after hours."

Charles felt a smirk tug at the corner of his lips as Liza pressed herself against him. "Only one problem," he said huskily, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her to him . "You have a contract with us."

"What can I do to get you to release me?"

Pulling her close, he let his lips linger close to her ear. "Spend the night?"

Nodding, Liza smiled, planting another kiss gently on his lips. "If I do, we both agree I'm working for Plaza."

"Consider yourself fired." Charles whispered, before pulling her close, capturing her mouth with his. From his position on the bed he pulled her body between his legs, one hand absentmindedly reaching under her dress to graze her thigh. He wished that this moment in time would stand still. Just he and Liza, alone, together at last. Liza leaned into him, her hands leisurely trailing their way up his back, eventually entwining in his hair as their lips met before moving between their bodies to unbutton his shirt with a slow deliberation, peeling the white shirt off of his back and tossing it onto the floor.

Charles groaned as he felt Liza's hands on his bare back and he quickly slid the straps of her dress off of her shoulders, letting the black dress pool at her feet. With one swift, graceful motion he stood, gathering Liza into his arms and turning to place her onto the bed. He stretched out next to her, reaching over to push a lock of wavy brown hair out of her eyes. Liza smiled contentedly, loosely draping one leg over his and pulling him close to her as she ran her hand down his chest, toying with the zipper of his pants. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, was comforted by the familiar feeling of his muscular body. She felt so safe and secure in his harms.

Their hands began to move, seemingly of their own volition. Charles explored her body with his, freeing her from her undergarments as she did the same with his pants and boxers. Liza moaned softly as she felt his body pressed against hers, soft and rough at the same time. Charles trailed a finger over her collarbone to her shoulder, causing Liza to shiver despite the rising temperature in the room. Their fingertips left trails of fire on their skin, shivers of heat and ice coursing through their veins.

Liza sighed and trembled in pleasure as his mouth left hers and traveled over her neck, grazing her clavicle and she arched involuntarily, exposing her neck to him even further as her hands traveled over his back, over warm skin and rippling muscles.

"Beautiful," he murmured against her throat, before moving his lips slightly south to her breasts. Gradually, tenderly, he traveled wet kisses between them as he felt her pleasure growing, the feel of her body under his as she arched and curled around him.

"Don't stop," she moaned breathlessly, hooking a leg around him. They had all night, after all. They could take things slow. He seemed to spend an endless number of minutes teasing and tasting her, with one hand caressing her waist lightly, with an almost feather like touch. Charles was overcome with a sudden need to gaze upon her face, and he rose, smiling slightly as Liza opened her eyes, glazed and inundated with passion. He trailed a finger down the side of her face before reclaiming her mouth, groaning deep in his throat, delving into her possessively and completely. Liza gasped, reaching up to hold his neck with a savage grip, meeting his kiss with equal passion and enthusiasm as she curved her hips towards him.

"Lie back," he instructed, gently but with an intense strength as he guided her form back down the bed as he rolled over her, covering her body with his completely. Charles lowered his head, gently raining warm kisses over her abdomen as his firm hands fully explored her body, unrelenting but tender. Overcome with a haze of dizziness, Liza laid prone on the bed, her hands running through his hair absentmindly as he slowly undid her.

"Charles," she gasped, and he repositioned himself over her, his body pressed into hers as he twined one hand through her hair and around her neck, passionately claiming her mouth with a throaty groan. Simultaneously his other hand gasped the back of one knee, pulling her leg up and around his waist as he pushed into her, filling her completely. Liza sighed contentedly as he stilled for a moment, opening her eyes to meet his as he began to move unhurriedly, slowing building the inevitable crescendo between them. His restraint was short-lived as Liza met him beat for beat, her passion and hunger and desire matching his with an equal fervor. They surrendered themselves to the spiraling sensations of pleasure, crying out for each other as they brought each other over the edge.

They lay there for a moment, thoroughly exhausted and satiated. Charles began to move off of her, but Liza protested, wrapping her arms and legs around him.

"Not yet," she whispered, grazing a hand over his back. And while she knew her next words weren't true, and while her mind began to fill with thoughts and worries even as they lay together, she said them anyways. "We have all the time in the world."


	27. Chapter 27

Liza collapsed into her chair at her desk, sighing heavily. Glancing around, she was relieved to see that Diana wasn't at her desk. Her mind was spinning, and she wasn't sure that she could process her thoughts and deal with Diana at the same time.

The Chick(y) contract, stuffed haphazardly into her purse, caught her eye as she tucked her bag into the drawer where she kept her belongings. She'd just come from the meeting with Cheryl, which had left her exhausted and torn. She absolutely did not want to leave Empirical. It had been her home for two years and she didn't want to leave her friends, the people who had undeniably become her family. But she knew she needed to. It was the only way. She and Charles could be together and she wouldn't have to lie about her age. The secret that was being kept wouldn't loom over Kelsey and Millennial like a dark cloud ready to burst.

Did she want to work with Cheryl? Absolutely not. Did she want to become Kelsey's competitor? The thought made her sick. But did the pay make her eyes pop? For sure. She could pay off her debt, David's debt, and be free of that weight. It'd all been so much at once, and she had come up with the excuse about having her lawyer review the contract to buy some time.

She heard a commotion behind her and glanced up to see Diana leaving the conference room and heading towards Kelsey's office. Glancing over, she saw Charles exit the conference room behind Diana, a weary expression on his face. His eyes brightened as he caught her eye, exchanging a brief smile before another editor came up to him. They hadn't really spoken since returning from Frankfurt 3 days ago. Liza knew he was trying to give her the distance she had requested, despite their night together in Europe. Just thinking about it made her toes curl. But for now she put her thoughts aside, rising to deal with whatever drama was unfolding inside Kelsey's office.

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"Do you know what he wants to talk to us about?" Kelsey whispered to Liza at the coffee bar as she rinsed out a to go cup. Kelsey had an anxious look on her face as she pestered Liza about the vaguely worded email Charles had sent a few minutes prior, asking the two of them to come to his office to discuss something.

"I don't know, Kels. I haven't talked to him much since we got back."

Kelsey dried her hands with a paper towel and scrunched it up into a ball before tossing it into the trashcan, scrutinizing Liza's face at the same time. "You two hooked up, didn't you?"

"I, ah, how?"

Kelsey smirked as she picked up her phone. "Girl, it's all over your face. You're a smitten kitten."

"You know me too well."

"And I want details."

Liza laughed, pushing her friend in the direction of Charles' office. "Later."

Moments later they sat opposite Charles, who was leaning back in his chair, a look of pleasant anticipation on his face. Liza twisted her hands together, feeding off of Kelsey's nervousness.

"I just had a very interesting lunch with Quinn Tyler. She's, uh, very impressed with Millennial. The two of you in particular. "

"She's pretty impressive herself." Liza added, despite the thought of Charles and Quinn spending time together making her stomach churn.

"Well, get ready for what I'm about to tell you," Charles sat upright in his chair, leaning towards his desk. "She wants to make a significant capital infusion into the company, predicated on making Millennial the prime driver of the company's business."

"Oh my god." Kelsey gasped, her eyes going wide. Liza herself was stunned, but the questions were coming fast and furious. "What does that mean for the company?"

"It means that, uh, Millennial and not Empirical would become our flagship brand. Obviously, I need to think about it, but I wanted to speak with the two of you first and foremost." Beside her, Liza could feel the excitement rolling off of Kelsey in waves, but Liza could see the apprehension in Charles's face. "I'm stunned," she said for lack of any other words.

Kelsey reached out suddenly, clamping on to Liza's arms like a vice. "Okay, you cannot leave now. She is investing in us." The emphasis was heavy on the last word, the look in Kelsey's eyes pleading.

"Kelsey, this is all the more reason why I should leave. I'm a ticking time bomb." She glanced between the two. "You both know the truth. I've been perpetrating a fraud here. You're both part of it. As much as I hate it, you're as liable as I am. If I'm not here, Quinn's investment would be clean."

"I don't know if I could do this without you, Liza." Kelsey said quietly, her voice honest and raw.

"Kelsey, can I have a word with Liza?"

Kelsey nodded and stood. "I'll be in my office, trying not to pass out."

Liza waited until the door shut behind her before turning back to Charles, who had moved around to the front of the desk and was leaning against it, his longs legs stretched out between Liza's chair and the one that Kelsey had just vacated. "You know I'm right," she said quickly, looking Charles squarely in the eye. "I don't want to leave, but if I take this job, I'll have a career and we'll have us. And if I stay and you take Quinn's investment based on me misrepresenting myself it's not going to end well."

"And you think that Kelsey can run Millennial without you?" Charles asked quietly. He knew Liza was right.

"I do. She's amazing. And no matter what you call it, Empirical, Millennial, at the end of the day, it's still your company."

Charles smiled at her as she reached out to take his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She was amazing. And now there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Soon they could be together. Honestly together. Hold hands on the street and go out on dates and be a honest to goodness couple. "All right, I'll tell Quinn."

Liza stood, leaning over to kiss him gently. "No. I'm still her editor. I'll tell her myself."

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Charles rocked back and forth on his heels as he glanced down the sidewalk, looking for a flash of Liza's long brown hair in the sea of people bustling up and down the street. Tonight was one of those early warm spring nights, and people were taking advantage of the momentary lapse in the cold winter weather to enjoy the outdoors. He himself had pulled his tie loose and slipped off his suit jacket, savoring the light breeze. He leaned forward again and utilized his considerable height to glance down the street. She had texted him when she left her meeting with Quinn, and he was both anxious and excited to hear how things had went. If they were able to pull this off, if he was able to save his family business and find a way to be with Liza publicly and she wouldn't have to leave Empirical? Well, it would be small miracle indeed.

"Hey you." A voice said from behind him as long, slim arms wrapped around his torso. He glanced down, smiling at the lilac painted fingernails.

"Diana! Thank goodness. I've been waiting for you for hours, darling." He felt Liza laugh, smelled her light perfume and strawberry scented shampoo.

"Hah. Wouldn't she love that," Liza said, slipping around to his front and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. She had changed sometime between when he had seen her at the office and now, and was wearing a short flowery skirt that put her long legs on display. Her leather jacket was slipped on over a white shirt. His white tee shirt, in fact. He felt a stirring inside of him at the thought of her wearing his clothes.

"You look beautiful." He whispered in her ear as they intertwined their fingers and started to make their way down a path towards the Bryant Park fountain. Liza smiled up at him and rested her head against his shoulder for a moment. "How did it go?" he asked, cautiously.

"It…..went," Liza said slowly. "She was surprisingly…I don't know if supportive is the right word. Impressed, maybe. Embracing. But, Charles," she paused as they stopped by the edge of the fountain. "There's no good way out of this. I mean, if I go, Quinn could pull her investment. If I stay, we're in the same mess we're in now." Liza raked a hand through her hair and Charles reached up to tuck a strand behind her ear.

"But it won't be the same." At her quizzical look, he continued. "I discover that the 20 something former assistant is not a 40 something editor. I'm very surprised. I look at her completely differently. I maybe even ask her on a date and my only question will be, will she say yes?"

Liza's eyes twinkled, amused. She bit her lip, contemplating. "Hmmmm. That's tough. They still have a reporting relationship."

"But she's not an assistant anymore. She's a Millennial co-founder. She's an executive. People meet at work all the time." He added, grinning.

"And these people have no secret past?"

"None whatsoever."

"Huh, well, hmm. He's a little stuffy. Recently divorced. Will they have any chemistry? Is he fun?" Liza thought out loud as she wrapped her hands around his waist.

"She'll just have to see for herself."

"Well, let's say she says yes. They go to dinner and maybe they click."

"Maybe," Charles agrees, as he slides his arms around her shoulders, casually playing with her hair. "And maybe he can hold her hand at the office. And in the street. Everywhere. The way that he as wanted to do for as long as he can remember." The moment stills for both of them as his words linger in the air. Liza can feel herself falling even further in love with him.

Her phone beeps, once, twice, three times.

"Is she going to get that?" Charles asks, as Liza reaches down to silence her phone.

"She'd rather not. Damnit," she curses, as it beeps again. "I'm sorry." She glances at the screen, sighing.

"Everything all right?"

"Of course not. It's Cheryl Sussman." Liza starts to type, but Charles reaches down and swiftly pulls the phone out of her grasp and slips it into his back pocket.

"You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs." They both laughed as they continued to walk arm in arm. "Let's go get some food. I'm famished."

"Anything but eggs."

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Liza scanned the crowded office floor, searching the mass of people in the bullpen for Charles. Her heart was beating so loud she could almost feel it in her ears. Was what Diana had just told her right? Was Charles being pushed out of his own company? Why?

She heard the ding of the elevator and turned her head just in time to see the doors close on his tall form. She began to weave her way through the crowd, impatiently sighing as she pushed past a few interns helping themselves to some champagne. Yanking open the door to the stairwell, she slipped inside and down the steps, her heels echoing on the cement steps. She felt warm and anxious all of a sudden. Her white dress felt too tight, her heels too snug. Nothing was right.

Pulling open the door to the first floor she scanned the lobby, spotting his tall form crossing the street, heading into the park. She cursed his longs legs and quick stride as she weaved in and out of the crowd and onto the street.

"Charles!" She called out as soon as she was within earshot.

He turned, smiling at her when he saw her. She looked almost ethereal in that dress and the cutouts on the side gave him a glimpse of skin he desperately wanted to touch. His whole world was shifting, but Liza was his anchor. She stilled the shifting waters. She was home.

She clasped onto his arm tightly as she reached him, her eyes anxious. "Is it true? Did they force you out? Why would Quinn do this?"

Charles smiled serenely at her. "She found out about us." He said calmly. "And that didn't sit well with her investors."

Liza slanted her eyes downwards, exhaling slowly. This was all her fault. "Oh my god, Charles, I am so sorry. I…."

He cut her off with a chaste kiss, resting his forehead against hers. "The company survives. It's a good thing."

"This is not a good thing," Liza protested, her voce cracking. "This is your life!"

"It was. And maybe it's time for a new one. With you. With my kids. My father's company is still alive and I get to watch you help run it." He smiled again at the thought. The idea of not getting up and going to work scared him, but he was picturing all the good things that were going to come out of this. He could make breakfast for his girls, all three of them. And it was time to introduce Liza to the girls as his girlfriend, he had settled on that. He could read the newspaper in the morning, catch a Yankees game now and again. And maybe, just maybe, he might start writing again. He'd started one manuscript and never finished it, but maybe it was time to put pen to paper again.

Liza started to protest again, but he cut her off. "Liza. I have got everything I want. I'm happy," he said firmly, searching her eyes. He was happy and at peace with this. It had been his idea, after all, to back away from the company.

Liza stilled, her eyes meeting his and she saw nothing but honestly in his. God, she loved this man. She hadn't said it yet, but she knew it in her heart. He was home for her. "Then so am I."

Charles smiled at her, taking her hand in his as he leaned in to kiss her, cupping her neck with his free hand. This wasn't the ending, he knew, but the beginning of something great.


	28. Chapter 28

Liza woke up slowly, blinking her eyes sleepily as she adjusted to the early light that was starting to stream in through the windows in her bedroom at the loft. She noted the heavy arm that was draped possessively over her waist and smiled. Charles. He was here, with her. Moving slowly, she stretched her legs under the sheets as she turned over to face him. She loved watching him sleep. She hadn't been able to do that much, but the tides were shifting, and she hoped that she would be getting to spend plenty of overnights with him. He slept with a slight smile on his face, his face covered in a light stubble and his hair mussed up. It was adorable. She glanced around the room, smirking at the sight of his feet sticking out from under the bottom of her sheets at the foot of the bed. The memories of their activities last night stirred her insides, and she only hoped that Maggie had put her headphones on before she went to bed.

She slipped out from under the weight of his arm and eased out of bed. It was the Monday after his Friday afternoon bombshell about the changes at work. The first Monday in years where he didn't have to get up and head to work. The first Monday of the rest of their lives.

They'd spent the weekend together but hadn't spoken much about the new work dynamics. Liza had spent most of the weekend at the brownstone. They'd told the girls that they were together, and the response had been enthusiastic hugs and giggles. Liza loved those girls like they were her own and was so excited that Charles was ready to make her a part of their world, as more than just a babysitter.

She didn't know the details, but she knew that Charles had sat down with Pauline on Friday night when he picked the girls up for the weekend. He'd filled her in on the changes at work and informed her that he and Liza were officially, publicly together. He'd also sat down with his lawyer and closest friend, Bob, on Saturday, while Liza took the girls out for breakfast and bookstore browsing. Neither of them had said much about the work changes, but Liza knew that would come to an end soon. They'd been in a perfect familial bubble for the past couple of days, ignoring messages from coworkers and colleagues and friends as they adjusted to their new normal. _But bubbles are meant to be popped_, Liza thought as she glanced back at Charles' sleeping form before heading to the shower.

Charles awoke a few minutes later, his body programmed to rise with the sun after years. No need for that now, he thought, ironically. Shifting, he reached for Liza, but his hand fell onto empty but still warm sheets. He paused, registering the running shower in the next room. Yawning sleepily, he stretched and propped himself up on his elbows, glancing around her bedroom. It was small, but distinctly Liza. The shelves on the wall behind her head were full of books. He spotted her well-worn and dogeared copy of Anna Karenina propped next to a framed photo of her and Caitlin. He spotted a few more picture of her and Caitlin through the years, and the sight of a younger Liza with a baby-faced Caitlin made him smile. The smile faded as his eyes landed on a picture of her with Josh. Granted, Kelsey and her little red-haired friend were on either side of them, but there was something in the way that Josh was gazing at Liza, his arm slung possessively around her shoulder that made his blood run cold. His jaw ached as he remembered that jerk sucker punching him. Not that he could really blame him, but, nevertheless.

Charles leaned back against the pillows, yawning again as he leaned back against the fluffy white pillows. He stretched out his legs underneath the covers, shivering as cool air met his feet. The bed was so damn small his feet stuck out the other end. If he was going to be spending a lot of time here, and he did intent to, Liza was going to need a bigger bed. Maybe, he thought, as his eyes fluttered shut, he'd go furniture shopping later today. He definitely had the time now.

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Liza closed the door to the loft and scurried down the hall, descending the stairs so quickly she almost tripped over her own feet. Had she really just told Charles that she loved him? It had come out of her mouth without any thought, like it was the most natural thing in the world, like she had said it to him a thousand times before. Taking a few deep breaths in a vain attempt to slow her rapid heartbeat, she headed down the street, trying to collect her thoughts. She didn't feel bad about saying it, or guilty, or uncomfortable. Actually, she smiled to herself, it felt pretty damn good. She just wished she'd given him a millisecond to respond.

As Liza was headed into midtown, Charles took his time getting up and ready. Liza's "love you" and subsequent disappearing act had thrown him for a loop. He hoped she didn't regret saying it. He knew without a doubt that he loved her too, he just hadn't found the right time to tell her yet. Their whole relationship had been a series of curveballs, and he wanted them to enjoy just being together, out in the open for all the world to see. If she'd just given him 30 seconds before running out of the apartment, he would have said it back, without hesitation, without a doubt in the world that the words coming out of his mouth were true. He could have texted her, or called her, but he wanted to look her in the eyes when he told her that he loved her.

As he redressed in Liza's bedroom, he took a longer look around at her surroundings. White brick and exposed beams and lots of natural light. He hadn't taken a long look around the rest of the loft when they had stumbled in last night in the dark, but he imagined the rest of the place was an artist's haven. He took stock of the rest of the books on her shelves, making mental note of a few books he wanted to get for her to fill in her collection. He traced the initials embossed on the ivory letterhead on her small desk, smirking when he saw a small stockpile of Empirical pens in a coffee cup on the corner of the beat-up wooden desk.

The smell of coffee brewing pulled him out of his study of Liza's belongings. He wasn't sure if Maggie knew that he was in the apartment, but it looked like it was time for the long-awaited introduction. He was a little nervous. This was Liza's closest friend – if he didn't meet her standards, he might as well pack his bags.

He started to button his shirt when there was a knock at the door and a short, dark haired Italian woman pushed the door ajar, two steaming cups of coffee in her hands.

"Well, hello." She said appraisingly, leaning against the doorframe and holding one cup of coffee out to him. Her eyes were sharp but amused, and she made no qualms about glancing up and down at him, smirking at his exposed abs.

Charles hastily buttoned his shirt and reached out to accept the cup of coffee. "Hi. You must be Maggie."

Se didn't answer but turned and walked into the living room, settling onto the blue couch. Charles followed, sitting on the opposite end of the couch.

"Wow. The height I expected, but she failed to mention the abs."

Charles chuckled nervously and Maggie smirked again. "Don't worry, sweetheart. The male form does very little for me."

Charles took a sip of coffee, excellent dark roast coffee, and opened his mouth to speak, but Maggie cut him off.

"Listen, Charles. I'm going to be blunt with you because I'm fairly confident you can take it. Liza's been through a lot."

"I'm aware."

"And from what I understand, so have you."

"I have."

"Well, sometimes it makes two people perfect for each other. And other times, those two people can drag each other down like anchors."

"I would never do that to Liza."

"No one ever does it on purpose."

Charles leaned over, setting his mug on the coffee table. He straightened, looking Maggie in the eyes. "I love her, Maggie. I don't say that lightly. In fact, the only other woman I've ever said those words to is my soon to be ex-wife. I love her, and I have for a long time. She means the world to me. And I know that you don't know me, and that my word probably doesn't mean much to you, but I would never do anything with the intent of hurting Liza. I'm not fooling around here. We're not just having fun. I am utterly and completely in love with her."

Maggie didn't say anything for a moment, but when she looked up at him, she was smiling. "You're right. I don't know you. But Liza does, and she loves you. For now, that's enough for me. You and I, we're going to get to know each other, rest assured. But if Liza loves you, then so do I. Now," she stood, knocking back the rest of her coffee, "what would you like for breakfast?"

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Later that evening…

Liza closed the apartment door behind Josh, sighing heavily as she turned back to Maggie.

"Longest day ever." She sighed as she collapsed onto the couch, taking her refilled wine glass from Maggie. Her verbal grenade this morning seemed like it had happened weeks ago. The regime change at Millennial was enough to make anyone's head spin without adding Quinn's drama and Diana's less than enthusiastic reaction to finding out about her and Charles. Add Josh and his apparent baby daddy drama to the rest of it, and it would make anyone want to curl up in the fetal position.

She had been hoping to talk through it all with Charles at dinner as they had planned, but Nicole had spiked a fever at school, and he was home tending to her. She would have gone over to check in but didn't have the mental or emotional capacity to deal with a potential run in with Pauline.

"No kidding. I had to pick up my laundry from the drycleaner and stop at the liquor store."

Liza laughed, shoving Maggie playfully. "So, what do you think about that?" Maggie gestured towards the door that Josh had just exited.

"I, I don't know what to think. He wants to be a dad, but I don't think he's ready. But who is? I wasn't, that's for sure. But Caitlin turned out great. Maybe it's what he needs. I'll be there for him, but I've got my own problems to worry about."

"Amen to that."

Liza took a sip of her wine, letting it linger in her mouth for a moment before swallowing it. "I told Charles I loved him this morning."

Maggie smiled over the rim of her wineglass. "That Greek god has it for you bad, Liza. Real bad. He lit up like a Christmas tree talking about you. A very tall Christmas tree, possibly sculpted out of bronze."

Liza blushed, but couldn't keep the smile off her face. "I've got it bad for him, too, Mags. It's different than it was with Josh, or with David. It's passionate and sexy but real and solid and strong. I think we're building something really special."

"The way I heard it last night, it sounded like you two were trying to knock the building down."

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The next afternoon…

Liza stepped out of the cab in front of the brownstone just before noon, crossing the sidewalk as fast as her bright blue heels would let her. She felt so happy, so giddy every time she glanced down at the picture of the luxurious bed now sitting in her bedroom. It was beautiful, and it was a gesture from Charles that made her insides liquefy. He was so romantic and kind and generous, and she needed to see him, to touch him, to thank him.

She knocked at the door, shivering as a gust of wind lifted her curls off of her shoulder and the door swung open. He smiled crookedly at her, looking oh so handsome in his blue sweater.

"Hi," she said, a little breathless, as she leaned in to kiss him lightly.

"Hi. What are you doing here?" He rubbed a hand down her arm.

"I didn't know you were really going to buy me a new bed!"

Charles leaned against doorframe, leaning in towards her slightly. "Ahhh. You like it?"

Liza rose up to kiss him again, this time with a little more vigor. "I love it so much that I thought I'd spend my lunch hour thanking you in person."

Charles' eyes darkened as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Mmm. I like the sound of that." He fiddles with a strand of her hair, pushing it out of her face.

"Is it wrong of me to say that a part of me just….", she paused, "really misses you there? It's not the same without you."

"I really miss being there too. But it's okay, because I," Charles paused, bringing both of his hands up to rest against Liza's face. "I did it for the woman I love."

If Liza's insides hadn't already been liquified, those words would have done her in. She closed her eyes briefly, but opened them to meet his, and smiled. "Did you just tell me you love me?"

"Baby, I think I pretty much have had feelings for you for…16 years."

Liza laughed. "What?"

"Since you were 26, and now you're 42. It's long enough to know."

Liza smiled serenely at him, resting her hands against his chest. "I love you, too." She stepped past him into the foyer, kicking off her shoes. "Now are you going to get upstairs so that I can thank you properly?"

Charles grinned, locking the front door as he pulled off his sweater and tossed it aside. "Lead the way."


	29. Chapter 29

Charles fiddled nervously with the small box in the pocket of his tuxedo jacket as he waited for Liza to finish getting ready. They were headed to a publishing gala, and it was to be their first official outing as a full-blown couple. He wasn't nervous about that – he was at the point where he couldn't care less about what people thought of him. No, he was nervous about Liza's reaction to what was inside the small black box in his pocket. It had been rattling around in his nightstand for the better part of the last two weeks, and he had finally worked up the nerve to give it to her.

"I'm ready!" Her voice pulled his attention away from his own thoughts, and he turned to catch a glimpse of her walking down the last few steps of the curved staircase. The sight of her made his breath catch – she was absolutely beautiful. Wearing a flowing multi-colored gown, her makeup light and her hair in loose waves, it was hard to believe that half an hour ago she had been hopping around his bedroom wearing nothing but a towel and reading the last few pages of something Kelsey had given her while she brushed her teeth.

"You look beautiful, Liza." He said softly, lifting a curl off of her shoulder and leaning in to kiss her lightly on the cheek.

"You're not too shabby yourself, Mr. Brooks," She said, linking her arm with his and turning to look at their image in the foyer mirror. "You look like James Bond."

Charles arched an eyebrow, a small grin on his lips. "Ahh, well then that would make you my Bond girl, wouldn't it?" Liza looked up at him coyishly. "You'll just have to wait and see." She glanced at the clock on her phone's lockscreen. "But we really should get going. We're already 20 minutes late."

Liza made for her coat but was held back by Charles, who reached out to take her hand. "The gala can wait a few more minutes. I have something I want to give you." Liza laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I think your Bond girl fantasy can wait a few hours, can't it?"

Charles chuckled, slipping his hand into his pocket and pulling out the black box. "Not that, but I like where you're going with that train of thought. No," he said quietly, pulling her back to face him and lifting the box between them. "I wanted to give you this."

Liza lifted her hand to the box, taking it but not immediately opening it. "Charles," she said seriously. "You don't have to buy me gifts. I don't need you to buy me expensive jewelry. You've got nothing to prove."

"Just open it, woman."

Liza rolled her eyes, cautiously opening the box. Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at the contents of the box before lifting her eyes to meet his. "Is this what I think it is?" she asked quietly, carefully lifting the silver key off of the black velvet inside the box. "Are you giving me a key to your house? Are you sure?"

Charles slowly smiled, taking her free hand in his. "Of course. Liza, I haven't been more sure of anything in my life than I am with you. I know what I want, what I want us to become. You're the one constant in my life right now. I want you to feel comfortable here, to come and go as you please. Early mornings, late nights, after school with the girls. I want you to be here whenever you want.

Liza was quiet for a moment before she stepped to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a searing kiss, the key still clutched in her hand. "God, I love you." She said, pulling away to rest her forehead against his. "I'd love to give you a key to the loft, but with our luck you'd probably walk in on one of Maggie's sex parties that she thinks I know nothing about."

Charles blanched for a moment before starting to laugh. "Yeah, Maggie can keep her key."

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Liza stood on the steps of the brownstone, the shiny new key on her keychain reflecting the light of the nearby streetlamp. She felt overwhelmingly tired, but very much at peace. Life was moving forward, whether she wanted it to or not. _Change is good,_ she had to remind herself, over and over again as she found herself overwhelmed and unsure of her future. She'd taken a leap of faith before that had catapulted her into a whole new world, a whole new life. And it was there that she had found passion in her work, joy in friends new and old, and love, so much love. It was time to let go of what was and embrace the future, whatever it may be.

She smiled again at the image of Josh in her mind. The sight of him cradling his beautiful baby girl in his arms made her heart warm. Not in an "I wish that was our baby" kind of way, but an "I'm so happy he gets to experience the love of a child" kind of way. It was time for both of them to move on.

Letting him fade from her mind she shivered, glancing up at the building in front of her. A faint glow from the second floor window told her that Charles was still awake. Likely reading, nursing a scotch, and waiting for her. She loved that idea, knowing that he was inside waiting for her. She loved where they were in their relationship. There was the spark of something new, the frenzied passion of two people getting to know each other intimately. They'd really only been together for a few months, but they'd been falling in love for a lot longer. There was a lazy comfort with one another underneath the passion, the sexiness. She wasn't sure what their future held, but she knew that they were laying a foundation on which a strong, beautiful relationship could be built.

She slipped her key into the lock, opening and closing the door as quietly as she could before hanging her jacket on the coatrack and slipping out of her shoes. The house was eerily still and Liza realized that it was nearly midnight. She and Maggie had been at the hospital for almost six hours and she had taken her time heading back, wanting some time to think. The girls would have been asleep for hours and she wondered, as she climbed the stairs, if Charles had waited up for her.

She glanced to her left as she reached the top of the stairs into the dimly lit and empty dining room. Turning the other way she smiled as she saw Charles settled into an armchair, reading.

"Hi," he said softly, setting his tablet aside and rising from the chair. He had been nearly asleep but was determined to wait up for Liza. He couldn't deny that a part of him had been bothered that she had spent the whole day with Josh. But he was having a baby with another woman, and he had to get used to the fact that Liza was his friend, and that she would want to be there for him at such a momentous time in his life. "Everything okay?" He asked, reaching up to rub her arm softly.

"Yeah," she said, smiling tiredly. "Baby girl. They're happy."

"Good for them." Charles paused, looking at Liza. He couldn't quite read the expression on her face. "Me too. You?"

Without a beat, Liza smiled and grinned up at him. "Yeah. Me too." The pair stood there for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. Liza reached out first, pulling him to her, seeking the warmth and comfort of his embrace.

They pulled apart for a moment, Charles pressing a soft kiss onto her forehead. "Let's go to bed," he suggested quietly, reaching over with one hand to flip off the lamp, his other hand reaching down to entertwine with Liza's.

Liza let Charles lead her quietly up the stairs, turning to pull her down the hallway towards his bedroom. Suddenly she was struck with an idea and tugged gently at his arm, pulling him in the other direction.

"Liza, what are you doi…"

His questions was cut off with a kiss as Liza stopped them in front of a heavy wooden door. "In here," she whispered into his ear, her breath hot and her heart racing.

"Why, Ms. Miller, are you feeling adventurous tonight?"

Liza smirked as she pushed open the door to the dimly lit study. "Just shut up and kiss me."

They stepped into the room, dimly lit by a lamp in the corner, in a tangle of limbs. Liza ran her hands across Charles' broad chest. She could feel him coming to life through the fabric of his sweatpants, and the sensation lit a fire in the pit of her stomach. She stepped backwards, leading them into the middle of the room, directly in front of the soft leather couch. She'd been in here once with Josh, but now all she wanted was to be locked in here with Charles.

"Oof," Charles muttered as Liza pushed him gently down onto the couch. She turned, stepping back to close the door and lock it. She glanced back at Charles, her eyes darkened with desire for him. His hair was mussed, his eyes twinkling, amused.

"Get over here," he said unnecessarily, his voice huskier than usual. It was a curt command uttered in a tone that reeked of authority and that brooked no argument, not that Liza had any plans to do so. She reached behind her, unclipping her hair and shaking out the waves as she walked back to him. His arms met her waist, pulling her down onto him. Her legs went on either side of his, her dress rucked up to her hips and his hands splayed across her thighs and backside. His fingers made swift work of the zipper of her dress and she shrugged her arms out of it, lifting them up so that he could pull the dress over her head and toss it into a dark corner.

"You next," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him, her teeth tugging playfully at his bottom lip as she began to pull his sweater away and up. She pulled away from him to pull the sweater over his head, tossing it in the general direction of her dress as she rocked her hips into him.

"God, Liza," he groaned as her lips traveled down to his neck. He pulled her close to him with one arm wrapped securely around her waist, lifting them slightly off of the couch as he freed them of the last of their clothing. He could tell that she was not in the mood for extended foreplay, and he didn't feel that it was much of an option for him at this moment. He wasn't sure what had inspired this encounter, but he was here for it.

He gripped her waist a little harshly as she rocked into him, her hands roving all over his body, trailing fire over his skin. One hand reached up and entangled itself in her chestnut mane, the other lifting her up and onto him, joining with her in a heated rush. They loved fiercely and passionately for a few minutes, slowly bringing each other to the edge and back again, gazing upon each other as they built each other up. It was only seconds after Liza leaned into him, catapulting him into oblivioun with another protracted, consuming kiss, that he let out a throaty growl from his chest and brought them together in an explosion of fireworks.

They each moaned in exhausted pleasure, their voices fading into unintelligible articulations, both blissfully united together. They stayed like that for moment, not speaking for a bit. Charles ran a gentle hand tenderly through Liza's hair, kissing her forehead and resting his head against her shoulder. "I love you, Liza. So much." He planted a tender kiss on her cheek and she unexpectedly giggled, looking up into his eyes. "Well, now that we have that out of the way, perhaps we can go to bed. I'm exhausted."

Charles chuckled, lifting them up off the sofa. "Your wish is my command, dear."

Liza giggled, resting her head against his shoulder. "Wait! Our clothes."

"I'll come back and get them. I'm not setting you down until we're back in the bedroom.

"Yes, sir." They both laughed quietly, disappearing into the darkened hall, both praying that the girls were fast, fast asleep.

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_This next bit is actually a duplicate of one of my previously published one-shots, so sorry if it's a repeat read for anyone! I just liked how it came out and wanted to incorporate it into this story! Enjoy!_

It was late Saturday evening when Liza spotted the envelope tucked into the well worn copy of A Moveable Feast that held a permanent place on her nightstand. She smiled as she recognized the familiar handwriting, her name scrawled lazily across the envelope. They had planned on going out for a dinner date, as Pauline had the girls, but she had called Saturday morning and asked him to take the girls for a few hours. Liza suspected she had a date, but decided not to bring it up with Charles. So he was taking Nicole and Bianca on a daddy-daughter date, and Liza was spending her evening at the loft with a bottle of sauvignon blanc and a pile of laundry that desperately needed folding.

Smiling, she tore open the envelope carefully as to not damage the contents. Inside the envelope was a single sheet of paper and a ticket to the Rubin Museum.

_Sunday Morning. Tibetan Art Exhibit. Come find me. I'll let you know when. – C. _

Liza smiled mischievously and leaned back against the stack of freshly folded laundry. She was pretty sure she knew what this was about. They had listened to the newest episode of Exonerated on late Thursday night, curled up in bed together. It had gone into rather explicit detail about the first encounter between the male murder victim and Audrey Colbert, leaving no detail out. At the end of the hour they had turned to each other, both flushed, their bodies stirring. She could feel the heat pool in her stomach again as she remembered how Charles had pulled the headphones out of their ears and tossed the iPad aside before turning to her and claiming her mouth, and her body, as his. Her limbs were still a little sore. Charles Brooks was a little bit kinky, and she loved it.

The next morning she fidgeted through brunch, trying to distract herself with beautiful bouncing Gemma. She was head over heels in love with that baby, and it made her heart happy to see Josh and Clare working so well together as parents. She hadn't really talked to him about the situation since before Gemma's exciting entrance into the world, but she hoped they could work things out. She was happy in love with Charles, and she wanted the same for Josh.

Of course, Lauren had sat down babbling about her addiction to Exonerated, which sent Liza's jitters into high gear. She just about jumped out of her skin when her phone vibrated loudly on the table 15 minutes into brunch. Her heart flipped as she saw the text from Charles.

_Come find me._

She scrambled from the table, downing the last of her coffee and grabbing her jacket, making up a weak excuse about having "a thing to do." She caught Maggie winking at her from her spot at the end of the table. She'd filled her in on her suspicions about the secret rendezvous and Maggie had applauded Charles' plan. She loved that they were slowly becoming friends, and couldn't wait for them to spend more time together.

Charles wandered slowly through the Tibetan art exhibit, relistening to the most recent episode of Exonerated as he waited for Liza to appear. Pausing to look at a glass enclosed sculpture he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye and smiled to himself as he felt a hand brush up against his back. He caught a flash of a checkered jacket disappearing around a corner and he stood straighter, heading in the same direction.

They continued this little dance for a few moments, each of them moving slowly but stealthily through the exhibit, catching quick glimpses of each other around corners. Charles could feel his excitement grown and he picked up the pace, almost catching her as he turned a corner and saw her retreating back go down a near empty hallway. Jogging down the hall, he turned the corner, only to see the doors to a utility closet. Shaking his head, amused, he turned, and there she was, smiling up at him, her eyes dark.

His breath hitched as she reached up and pulled the headphones out of his ears, pocketing them in her coat. The air around them almost crackled with electricity and Charles smirked at her, his eyes taking in her tantalizing smile. Liza leaned in, almost imperceptibly, and he reached down and pulled her into a searing kiss.

As Charles wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss Liza seized his upper arms and together they stumbled back into the darkened alcove outside the utility closet. Charles felt his body stir as his back hit the wall and Liza pressed her body closer to his. He groaned as she pulled away slightly but she shook her head and pulled him towards her as she backed into the closet door and it swung open, and together they stumbled inside.

They stepped apart for the briefest moment and in that second, Liza pushed him away playfully, into the cinderblock wall. Charles could feel the cool brick against his neck, a stark contrast to the heat emanating from their intertwined bodies. One hand wrapped around Liza's hip and the other was in her hair as they kissed, as she nipped at his lower lip while her hand slipped between them to undo his belt buckle. Growling, he braced a hand on either side of her waist and spun them around so that she was pressed against the wall. He pushed against her, pushing her flush against the wall, letting his lips trace a torturous path from her mouth to her ear to her collarbone. They pushed each other's jackets off of their shoulders, kicking them aside. Charles pulled Liza's sweater over her head, tossing it onto a nearby box as he lowered his head to her chest, nipping at the tender skin through her lacy black bra. He heard her moan quietly and stood back up to capture her mouth with his, kissing her tenderly as he unbuttoned her tight blue jeans and pushed them down past her hips. She moaned again and bucked up against him, but he just chuckled through the kiss and let his hands roam her body as she pulled his sweater up over his head and shoved his pants and briefs down simultaneously

She gasped as she felt how ready he was for her and he nipped at her lower lip, holding it with his teeth as he pushed against her, teasing. He reached down with one hand, testing her readiness for him as the other closed around the side of her neck. When he felt how ready she was for him, how she parted her legs a little wider when his hand grazed over her sensitive skin, he growled deep in his throat. He wasn't going to last very long, but he really didn't give a damn. Not now. Liza knew she could get him to slow down if she wanted to, but she didn't. This wasn't a slow, sensual night in bed. This was primal, this was about dominance, and it was hot as fuck. Maybe because it was just such a different side of him than the buttoned up CEO, but the sight of Charles like this was lighting a fire in her that she didn't even know needed to be lit.

She cried out as he pushed into her hard, not waiting for her body to adjust to him before he started to move against her. He slid one hand down and lifted her leg around his hips as he pushed into her again and again. She met him, thrust for thrust, her arm wrapped around his shoulder for support, her nails digging into the skin on his back. It stung, but it felt good, and it drove his frenzy to a new level. He held his mouth against hers as he brought them over the edge, her breathing uneven as she felt every nerve in her body explode with pleasure.

He held them there for a moment before pulling away, resting his head against hers, their breathing heavy and ragged. Charles closed his eyes for a moment and felt her leg slip from his grasp and she pushed back against him. He watched from the corner of his eye as she bent down and pulled her jeans back up over her hips. He did the same, smiling at her as he caught her eye. He reached over and handed her the sweater he had tossed aside, watching as she slipped it on and tried to smooth down her mussed hair.

Liza opened her mouth to say something to him but he leaned down and cut her off with a light kiss. Shrugging his jacket on he smiled at her, reaching down to take her hand in his as he pulled open the door. The hallway was empty, and the two stepped back out into the exhibit, assuming the roles of innocent museum visitors, Liza smiling innocently at a passing docent who rounded the corner as the door to the closet swung shut. It would be their little secret, and damn, she loved every minute of it.

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Liza sat at the table in the diner, staring at the empty chair that Redmond had just vacated and fidgeting with a ring on her right hand as Diana and Kelsey conversed angrily. They'd just lost out on what could quite possibly be the biggest book of the year and their heads were spinning. Liza felt a knot forming in her stomach as she reflected on the events of the past few weeks. Zane showing up at the brownstone seemingly unannounced one afternoon, Charles taking calls in hushed tones behind closed doors. The letter from the bank that she had discovered the evening before, and Charles persistent and not so subtle attempt to distract her from questioning him. She knew where Zane had gotten the $800,000 to take the Colbert book out of the running. Sighing, she pulled out her phone and texted a message to Charles.

"_I think we need to talk."_


	30. Chapter 30

Liza stood on the sidewalk, watching the lights from the taxi fade down the street before turning a corner. Shivering, she sighed and pulled her coat tighter around her. She'd had the car drop her off three blocks from Charles's house. She was desperate for a few quiet moments to think, to breathe. Her day had been stressful from the moment she left the apartment until she walked out the office doors. Diana and Kelsey had been in atrocious moods due to recent events and she had spent all day listening to one or the other complain. Charles had texted a few times and tried to call her, but she couldn't deal with him on top of her coworkers. She was still getting looks from some of the junior staff and knew that she was being gossiped about. While she had no proof, she knew Charles had to be the money behind Mercury. But god, she hoped she was wrong. She felt betrayed and angry and confused. Why wouldn't he tell her about this, and why would he put himself in competition with his own company. It didn't make sense.

She'd planned to go home, turn off her phone, and have a big glass of wine and a long overdue evening in with her best friend. But Maggie was out with Beth, and Charles had texted, asking her to come over for dinner. The girls had apparently insisted on making dinner and had begged Charles to have Liza come over.

She pulled out the key as she got near enough to the brownstone to see warm light glowing through the window. On any other night she would have welcomed this. Coming home to a beautiful house to an adoring boyfriend and his angelic daughters. It was enough to make a girl swoon. But her stomach was in knots and her head ached and her feet hurt, and she didn't know what she would say to him when she saw him.

She slid her key into the door and slipped in quietly. She could hear the girls laughing and talking in the kitchen, their high-pitched giggles interspersed with Charles' voice. The house was warm and inviting, the sweet vanilla scent of a flickering candle masking the smell of some sort of pasta dish. Slipping off her shoes and her coat Liza set her bag on the table by the door, resting her phone and keys next to it. She wasn't sure how long she would stay.

"Liza!" Bianca ran down the hall, sliding into Liza with socked feet on the hardwood floor. "You're home!"

Liza smiled in spite of her mood, leaning down to kiss Bianca on the head. "Well, I heard you made me dinner."

Bianca tugged Liza not so gently down the hallway to the kitchen. "Daddy taught us how to make cacio e pepe. He said you liked it."

"I do, I love it." She stepped over the threshold into the kitchen, smiling at the sight in front of her despite the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling. Charles stood behind the counter, looking absolutely relaxed in a pair of sweatpants and a well-worn Yankees t-shirt as he poured her a glass of red wine and pushed it towards her.

"Thanks." She said quietly, leaning up to peck him chastely. He snaked an arm around her and pulled her to him, placing a kiss on her temple.

"I tried getting ahold of you a few times today." He said, lowering his voice as Bianca passed by headed towards the stairs with a dish of sliced bread. Apparently, they were eating in the formal dining room today.

"I'm sorry," she said, genuinely apologetic. "It's been busy the past few days. Mercury has pretty much pulled the rug out from under us." She pulled back under the ruse of washing her hands, but she wanted to observe his reaction.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, they pretty much stole Audrey Colbert out from under us. We had that deal locked. And the rumor is that they're going after some of our authors. Whoever they are."

Charles didn't say anything for a moment as he handed Nicole a bowl of tossed salad to take to the table. "Well," he said slowly. "I'm sure Kelsey will handle it. You ready to eat?"

Liza narrowed her eyes at him as he turned away. "Yeah," she said cooley. "I'm ready."

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24 hours later….

Liza shrugged on her jacket and followed Charles down to the street. The cool night air was a refreshing reprieve from the warmth of the apartment. And the smell of garlic. She wasn't sure if she could ever look at Maggie or Beth again.

"Hey." Charles stepped off the curb onto the quiet street, turning at the sound of Liza's voice to meet Liza's penetrating gaze. They'd been dancing around a tough conversation for a few days, and it was time to come clean.

Liza crossed her arms over her chest. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

He couldn't quiet meet her gaze and shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Yeah. You know, in a…in a lot of circles, Bronwyn's books are known as, uh, matron lit. So it….it probably wouldn't be a good fit for Millennial any way." He hesitated, smiled, and leaned in for a kiss. "Good night, Liza."

Liza pulled back, determined to get the truth out of him. "Charles," she said softly. "I have lied to a lot of people, yourself included, for a long time, and I know what it looks like. I saw you with Zane. I know you mortgaged the town house. And I think you're behind Mercury." She glanced up, her searching brown eyes meeting his blue, the look in his eyes confirming everything.

"Liza," he said, pained, reaching for her hand. "I never wanted to give up publishing. I wanted to be with you, more than anything. And I wanted to keep the company going, so I had to make choices. Hard choices. Tough choices."

"So you are behind Mercury?" She couldn't keep the accusatory tone out of her voice. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Liza. I truly am. I wasn't trying to hide this from you. I was planning to tell you. I was looking for the right time. And to be honest, this whole thing took off a lot faster than expected."


End file.
